Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time, on a street in the south side of Little Rock, there lived a little girl. For some reason, she had a profound love and fascination with pictures. Not just any pictures. Pictures of her family. Pictures of her childhood. Pictures of the years gone by. She would sit and pour through the family photo albums. These were the days before the internet. These were the days before iPads and tablets. So this sweet little girl found a myriad of activities to keep her occupied that did not involve technology.

In case you hadn’t guessed, I was that little girl. And although technology has greatly advanced and I can find tons of activities to occupy my time, my love for family pictures is still going strong. My great-grandmother had shelving built into the wall of her living room that was packed with family photos. And I do mean packed. Photos of my uncles in their military uniforms. Graduation photos. School photos. And one professional photo that was a mix of my great-grandmother and great-grandfather with some of their children and grandchildren.

The outfits were not coordinated. The hairstyles were just okay. But there they were. A moment that was cemented in time. A moment that would never be again. And this picture held my interest for years. Because I wanted to be in a bigger family photo. Not just my immediate family. I wanted as many of us as possible to get together.

And in 2012, it happened. Bible Study Cousin and I searched for a photographer and rounded the family up. It was BIG family photo time. We compiled a list of shots that we wanted. We talked outfits. We talked hair. The day of the photo shoot arrived. We styled. We profiled. We had outfit changes. We had precious moments in time. We had moments that would never be again.

Recently, my cousin rounded up as many of our family members as could attend, and we had another family photo shoot. As you can imagine, our family has changed dramatically in eleven years. While we have had new additions through birth and marriage, we have also had many family members who have transitioned from this life to the next.

I can admit that the changes have not been easy for me. But on today, I am grateful for the pictures that chronicle my life and the life of my family. I am grateful for every moment that was. And look forward to the new moments that will be captured. #wepreach