Pictures

Tonight, I came back to Puyallup. I went over with my parents to help clean out my Grandparent's house. It's strange being there. I look around, I smell and I see all the things I remember from childhood. I remember running into my Grandma's bedroom every time my cousins and I were over there together to get the toys they would buy for us to play with. I remember throwing bean bags with my Grandma at the giant tic-tac-toe game she bought us. I remember sitting at the dining room table every Christmas next to my Grandpa. I remember holding his hand while we prayed. I look outside and I see all the BBQ's we had there. I see my Grandpa sitting out there feeding the squirels. I see my Grandma gardening in their flower bed.

That house has been my life. It was where I took my first steps and where I said my first word. It's where my Parent's gave me my first bike. And now it is where my only connection to my Grandparent's is.

While I was over there I took a huge selection of pictures to look at. I sat on the couch tonight and went through every one. I think I finally understand the value of pictures. I see their vacations, their love, and their family in those pictures. It is how they are alive to me now. I look at them and I can't help but see how much they loved each other. I can't help but see the world through those pictures. Most of them were taken before I was born, and for the past month I've longed to know what they did before me.

They traveled and visited family. But in every picture I saw love. I saw my Grandparent's life. And I saw what was important to them...their family.

For some reason, at the time, they believed what they were taking was beautiful. It was a moment they felt was worth capturing to remember. I'm thankful I was able to take a glimpse into their past.