Pictures from my wallet
August 11, 2012 | My Jottings
I still carry around baby pictures in my wallet of my daughters. I have most of their school pictures in there too. I have Michael’s old Minnesota driver’s licenses, my first California driver’s license from when I was sixteen years old, and photos of friends’ children given to me decades ago.
As I joined Ember this year in tossing or donating 365 things to help simplify our house, I threw out many pictures. Pictures of blurry landscapes and duplicate photos went in the trash, and there were hundreds.
I’m also not posting my weekly photo of This Week’s Seven Things anymore, because in the process of moving, we far surpassed donating or disposing of more than 365 things. The number of books, pieces of clothing, tools, pictures, doodads, mugs, toys, and other miscellany that went out from our old house totaled over 500, I am certain. And what a difference that made when we moved on May 31st into this smaller house!
But I don’t think I’ll ever part with the photos in my wallet. I may take them out someday and store them in another place, but the thick pile of little pictures will always be with me, Lordwilling.
Here are two old photos from my wallet. The one on the left is of me and my little girls when I was 23 years old. Sharon, on the right in the same picture, was almost four years old, and Carolyn was just over two years. I’ve been teased many times about this photograph, because I chose a dress for Sharon and a turtleneck for Carolyn. I can honestly say that at the time I was just going through our closets looking for color combinations that would match for the picture, and settled on red, white and blue because we all had something that would go. I never thought that I was causing my littlest daughter to look like a boy. Bad mom. 🙁
The picture on the right is of Sharon when she had only two children, several years ago. On the left is Mr. McBoy, who I think looks remarkably like his mama in the other photo when she was a similar age. On the right is Mrs. Nisky, who people have said looks like my Carolyn in the other photo.
Probably in no time at all, Mrs. Nisky will have her picture taken with her two children on her lap, and she’ll be pulling photos from her wallet and showing someone how much they resemble the picture of her and her family when she was very little.
I know I say this a lot, but I can’t help it. All of this happens so quickly. We get to the autumns or the winters of our lives and we think, “Agh! What happened? Where did all those years go?”
It’s the way it’s supposed to be, but I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.
The passage of time is not my cup of tea.
You two are SO alike!! I had to look twice because I thought it was you in both photos!
A couple of people have said that to me also, Helen. Do your children look like you?
‘The passage of time is not my cup of tea’.
So very true for me as well, Julie. In fact, just lately I’m finding it more of a bitter pill to swallow. I don’t know why. Probably something to do with my hormones at this stage in my life …
And you know you’re really getting on in years when you look in the mirror and see your mum (and hear yourself saying the same things as she used to say)!
Kay
P.S. I just read the above out to Alan and he immediately said, ‘Believe me, you don’t look like your mum! Don’t send shivers down my spine!’ 🙂 He says he’s not talking about physical resemblance – my mum has a very different personality to me.
I also see my mother in myself, Kay. A few years ago I was walking into a store in the winter time. As I was pulling my coat closed with one hand I happened to look up to see myself walking toward the store window, and I was stunned to see that I even pluck at my coat in the exact same way my mother plucked at hers. I didn’t even know I had noticed such things. “That’s my mother walking toward me” I thought as I got closer to the glass doors. :O Hello to Alan, hugs to you both! xxoo
It’s hard to believe Mr. McBoy wears a size 9 men’s shoe and Mrs. Nisky is now a very athletically inclined 3rd grader. And that they have two more sisters.
Time is a boulder, hurtling breakneck downhill, picking up speed the longer we’re here. I don’t like it either, especially when they make the babies grow up too fast.
Very good analogy Sharon. It does seem to pick up speed the longer we live. And babies should grow up in slo-mo, don’t you think?
I, too, hate the passage of time. I’ve heard it said that old age isn’t for sissies – how apt that is! It is truly amazing how much you and Sharon look alike in those pictures, Julie – both of you are so beautiful! I love catching up on your blogs (I was about five behind). They are always amazing.
Pat, you are such a faithful friend and SAG. Thank you for caring enough to check in here. I want to meet Cosette soon, and watch that DVD with you. 🙂 xxoo