Mama rarely took pictures, but the first day of school was always an exception. Oh my, but April and I are styling in these pictures! I am on the left and April is on the right. Red, white and blue was ll the rage as the Bi-Centennial was just a few years away. (Note the shorts under my dress... because they were mandatory to play on the monkey bars at recess.)
When I look at this image, I see Case and Gladys Corbin's barn across the road. So many summer memories of playing in the barn with their grandchildren.
On the right side of the image, the roof of the little white playhouse my Uncle Bobby built us a high school project. It stood long after we grew up. Since our lane was really, really long, it provided shelter on cold days as we would wait for the bus. Because of our Midwest winds, you can faintly see the cable attached to the roof that kept it from blowing into the deep drainage ditch.
Yes, this picture is worth a thousand memories. In this very spot, we stood every day. Talking, waiting, dreaming, imagining and full of excitement. We would watch the clouds for shapes and the bridge for a glimpse of the yellow school bus on the way from the Behrend's and the Peter's.
To my left, growing from the banks of the deep, deep ditch was a mulberry bush. If offered sweet berry treats in season, if you could beat the birds! Wild Asparagus would pop us to our delight (and Grandpa Lindgren's) in the same ditch. There was always wilde sweet, sugary purple clover, we would collect and make into teas with Mama Ina Mae.
One rare picture. One "first day of school". Wonderful memories. One moment in time, captured... and then... it unfolds so many more echoes of days gone by. Precious memories.
In just a few days, we will mark 22 years that April has been gone. It is pure joy to see and remember her sparkle. In this image... we were celebrities waving at our biggest fans.
At the time of Jesus, the camera had not been invented, but memories were equally precious. In 2 Peter, this verse states clearly the value of remembering. Words create the pictures. They give us images with the words.
I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. -2 Peter 1:13-14
This life and it's body really are fleeting. His promises are of forever. Heavenly reunions and worshiping together once again takes the sting of death away and replaces it with a longing for what is to come. While we are here, we must create a snapshot for future generations.
Today, I am grateful a picture is worth a thousand memories.
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