Legacy Writing 365:290

There’s nothing I don’t like about this photo of Mother with David and Debby. The way he’s squinting against the sun with that little sneer on his face–an expression everyone who knows him will still recognize today!–as if to say, “WHY am I dressed like this? I have things to do and places to be.” Meanwhile, his shoes are scuffed and his socks are falling down to add a bit of boy respectability to this get-up my mother’s put him in.

Debby clearly isn’t old enough yet to have transformed into the tomboy she became; she’s still all brushed and tidy, her shoes and socks perfect. She has a little grin as she looks at the photographer–maybe our father?

Mother is wearing the same dress style I’ve created so many times for my Barbies. I love its simplicity. She’s jazzed it up with shiny earrings and necklace. Each of her hands rests gently on a child, so at least she’s not having to wrestle them still for the photo.

I guess these are the photos people look at with nostalgia and think, “Times were so much better then.” But every time and every family has its difficulties and challenges. The best that we can do is enjoy the best of any time, try to live with some grace and dignity, and hold tightly to our senses of humor and gently to those we love.

There are a lot of changes happening in my family right now, almost all of them good. I’m thinking of you all and wishing you the best from Texas.