Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Aug/Sept 2017 Aspire Mag Full Issue | Page 85
We had asked our kids to meet us on the
beach behind the hotel. Everyone was to
wear a white shirt, even if it was a simple
white tee, and either jeans or khaki shorts.
Not a complicated request. Still, my husband
Tom showed up wearing a blue shirt, which
elicited a remark from our oldest son JJ.
“Is that the closest thing to white you have, Dad?”
Then I noticed the second of our five sons
wearing a cream colored shirt with, of all
things, bananas all over it. I smiled to myself.
After all, I had long ago let go of the notion
that I could control anything, especially when
it came to family. So why bother fussing?
Besides the beach was beautiful, with
only a few people strolling along. The sun
was lowering in the sky, streaking the blue
background with gentle strokes of pink. The
kids were smiling and happy to be together
if just for the time it took to snap evidence
that we really are a family unit.
The photographer clicked the camera with
enthusiasm, as we followed her instruction.
“Okay, on the count of three. One, two, three!”
When everyone allowed their picture
perfect smiles and stoic postures to relax
after the posed shots, I suggested we do
a couple of crazy pictures. Without missing
a beat, everyone assumed silly poses and
the photographer did her magic. When
we headed back to the hotel afterward,
everyone was laughing and making jokes.
It was almost two weeks later when I finally
sat down to look at the proofs. The shots
were wonderful, just like the photographer
had said. But it wasn’t the perfect pictures
that spoke to me. It was the crazy ones,
where we were all being silly.
In my favorite photo, hubby Tom is making
a monster face, while daughter Jessica
sticks out her tongue. Son Nate is climbing
onto the back of his fiancé Danielle. JJ, taller
than everyone else, is flexing his muscles
in the back, while his wife Bridget holds her
hand out with a “What can I say?” look. Our
youngest son Ryan looks as if he’s going to
punch his brother Sergei in the face. Alex’s
expression suggests he just won the lottery.
As for me, I am teetering precariously in front
of them all as if I’ve had one glass too many.
Whenever I look at the crazy photo, I laugh.
Everyone looks ridiculous, but it was that
photo my eyes kept going back to, not
the picture perfect ones. Why? Because I
appreciate what that photo represents -- the
chaos of our daily lives. Yes, the crazy photo
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Whenever I look at the crazy photo, I laugh.
Everyone looks ridiculous, but it was that photo my
eyes kept going back to, not the picture perfect ones.