Aunt Ruth loves to have young people in her house, and this past weekend, my youngest son and I spent a glorious day with her. Of course, it starts with a great deli sandwich (on rye, of course) includes a good pickle, lots of laughs, followed by comfortable conversation.
My son is showing Aunt Ruth his pictures, and as you can see, they are on his phone. She offered to show him hers. "I don't think young people appreciate pictures like these anymore. They are like show-and-tell when we were in school. I show you a picture and tell you the story."
I'm not offering a judgement on photo storage, but I can assure you that without the albums, our family would not be as rich in story.
We are grateful to Aunt Ruth for keeping us all by her side for another round of family history... and for the sandwich! May you be inspired to hang out with some of your elders and listen to their life tales, but if you can't stay for the show, at least enjoy a sandwich.
During the years I photographed for loving aunt ruth, I met bushels of Aunt Ruth's life long friends. Most of these fabulous people have spent their lives in Akron, Ohio, so they have shared memories that date back not only to their own kindergarten experiences but to their children's schooling, grandchildren's, and even great grandchildren's memorable moments. Extraordinary times...when families weren't scattered around the world.
New Year's eve was another opportunity for Aunt Ruth to socialize with some of her dear ones. Dress up. Laugh. Raise glasses in toasts honoring the memories of husbands, children, and friends who are gone.
As I lifted the camera up to focus, I found myself deeply appreciative for the lessons Aunt Ruth has generously shared with me. My commitment to nurturing friendships has deepened, and I find myself planning more gatherings than I have in the past. All right, maybe it's just to compete with Aunt Ruth, but my life is fuller since emulating what I admire about hers.
I had the pleasure of working with a young and very talented photographer, Tanya, editing the hundreds of images of Aunt Ruth, and I asked her what she learned during her tenure in my studio. She said Aunt Ruth's advice to appreciate everything has stayed with her.
Me too.
