That girl...

Yes, it is true...  I am THAT girl.  The girl with the camera, always taking pictures, of you, of your kids, of my kids, at every event imaginable, every gathering, making copies of pictures, sending them to you, I just can't help myself, click, snap, there I am...
 
I know it drives some of my friends crazy.  They put up with it because it's me.  Just as my eyes are blue and my heart is sensitive, my hand will more than likely be holding a camera--it's a part of my 'make up', let's say.
 
There are several "reasons" for this--as I've analyzed myself--another part of my 'make up' ;).  One, I don't remember much of my childhood, and any memories I do have are pretty abysmal.  I don't have much, and I want my kids to have volumes.  Beautiful, sunshiny, precious, lovely, gorgeous, volumes of history.  Judging by the shelves and baskets full of photo albums and Shutterfly books we've compiled, we're on our way :).  Second, I love my friends and family--LOVE them.  They are the reason I breathe, the reason I get up every day.  When I get down in the dumps and question every thing every now and again, these are the treasures I get out and peruse through with a cup of tea--and I count my blessings--gold, this is my silver and gold.  Third, goes along with the memory department--one of my biggest fears, as I have shared with some of you--is not dying.  I completely accept dying.  It is forgetting before I die.  That scares me more than anything in this life.  I remember watching my great Grandmother, and wouldn't you know it, I've forgotten her name, go through Alzheimer's, as a little girl and she was so mean to my sisters and I--and it scared me that she didn't know who we were, insisted we were someone else, and yet we were forced to visit and be around this poor woman who didn't care for our company.  I don't want to be that girl.  So I take these pictures.  Tons of pictures.  And as I've joked to Deb and Shelly, at least I'll have a billion pictures of people I don't know ;).

In this life, we all have our "things".  Mine just happen to be my loves, my friends, my family and they are what keep me going, walking, living, breathing, surviving this chaos of life -- along with the good Lord above -- and as prayer and the good Word are reminders and jump start my faith -- photographs around my home, my work place, my heart, my purse, keep my spirit uplifted also.  I'm not alone in this walk.  God has blessed my boys and this family with such kindred spirits -- and as time has a way of passing by so quickly and moving people from here to there -- I will keep snapping away and catching those glimpses and pockets of memories, saving them for a split second and freezing them in still moments to look back on again and again in those quiet moments when life seems to need a glimmer of happy, a shot of blessing...  and the boys and I can snuggle up with blankets and albums and giggle and smile and say "remember when?"... 

and I thank all of you for so graciously putting up with the camera in your face and being part of this family of ours ...  we hope you know how much we love you and what blessings you are to us...  don't worry, I'll leave the camera home tonight for the St. Pat's festivities...  ;)