Often, we refuse to take photos that others ask us for. We are embarrassed by how we look that day, including our outfit, hair, and skin. We don’t see the point of the photo. We just don’t want to. And for the last one, I don’t encourage making yourself uncomfortable all the time. But, when you don’t want to take the photo, consider why not. Anyway, my current point connects more to the appearance side. On Thanksgiving, my father, dog, and I were going up the stairs. My dog, Rosie, has a hard time going up the stairs if she decides to walk slowly up instead of running, and this night she had made the mistake of walking up. Halfway there, and she stopped. I was in front of her, and my father was behind.
We began to encourage her, and when she had three steps left, I was in a position to grab her, and I did. I was holding her and kissing her on the head and telling her how much I love her. My dad said, “Hold on,” and pulled out his phone for a photo. I hesitated, stating I didn’t know how I looked, and my hair probably looked terrible. My father responded, “Who cares?” and took the photo anyway. This time, the photo turned out frankly adorable, but even if it hadn’t, who cares? It made him happy to take the photo, and now I have the memory somewhere other than my mind, helping me never forget.
My father loves to take photos, a lot of photos. And often I get frustrated at being continuously asked to smile and take photos for him. But honestly, who cares? It makes him happy, and when a few years pass, and I look back at photos, they make me happy too. Yes, he takes too many at a time, and we don’t need a hundred photos of one moment, but he means well, and without him, there would have been so much uncaptured. While not every moment needs to be captured, and it is good to be present. If you don’t like taking photos, that’s fine; I’m not trying to make you. But sometimes, snapping a quick photo gives you an easy way to transport yourself back to the moments, to the people, that were captured within it.
P.S. Hi, Dad. I love you.
