picture it

Well, its already the year 2011, and we still don't have personal robot servants, or flying cars, or self cleaning houses. But someday we will right? And as soon as they invented teleportation, the next thing I want them to do is figure out how to implant a camera in my eye. You know, in a non-gross unobtrusive way. I don't mind if it changes my classification to cyborg, I just really want to be able to take pictures of anything I see. You know, so I can share them all with you here.

Because over the past couple of days there have been so many awesome, photographable moments, that I was not able to take pictures of, because I did not have my camera ready. See, I don't want to turn into one of those moms who, as their child is having a beautiful, meaningful moment, asks them to stop and go back and do it over again, but slower, and looking in this direction, no, over here, ok, one more time, aaaaand smile, oh, I didn't get that, can you do it again, but this time from the left? Why aren't you smiling? No, I don't want to be that mom. So mostly I just watch and drink it in and take a mental picture. But someday, I'll have a camera implanted in my eye and I can just think 'click, click, click" and I'll get shots of each glorious moment. 

Like a couple of weeks ago, when the Little Dude returned from a walk in the valley with his GranGran, and burst in through the door, both hands full of gorgeous yellow marsh marigolds, and the biggest sweetest grin on his face as he ran to give them to me. His joy, the colours, the energy pouring out of him, it would have been an awesome photograph. And I'll keep it as a great memory. 

Or yesterday morning when we looked out into the back yard to see a bunny, trapped inside the fenced in play-yard area, and we went out to herd him in the right direction. But first, the Little Dude insisted on bringing him some carrots, because that's what bunnies like to eat. The bunny was out of his mind with fear, and had no interest in our carrots, no matter how enticingly they were offered, so we gently directed his terrified self towards the open gate. And he bounded so beautifully across the lawn back to the safety of the forest, his white tail flashing behind him. I would have liked to take a picture of him. 

And this morning, I packed L.D. into the car and with great excitement (more mine than his) we headed out to our town's brand new library. Libraries are definitely one of my favourite things. My happy place for sure. I love the way they smell. I love the endless opportunity of unlimited books. I love the quiet and the precision and the alphabetization. I love the kind helpful people who work there. And I love that I don't have to choose between one book or another, I can take home any, or as many books as I like. And after closing down the old building three weeks ago, they opened the new building today, and it was so great to see their new space, and note the last little finishing touches being done. I would have like to take some pictures there, but again, I did not have my camera.

And when we got home from the library this morning, we chanced to look out the window and see a mother raccoon parading her three little babies across the lawn. I hustled the Little Dude down there to see them as close as we could, (they were so cute and little and waddle-y) but alas, forgot my camera. And so I have no pictures of that either.

And then there are the things that just can't be captured in a photograph. Like every time I go to get the New Baby up from his nap, I lift his warm little swaddled body up into my arms, and press my lips against his temple, which is so perfectly smooth and as warm as the sun on your face, and the smell! I can't even describe the smell because its combined with the tactile feeling in a way that I'm not even sure I can separate the one from the other. I don't even know how I would try to take that photograph. Its the sweetest feeling in the world. I hold it in my mind, and in my skin, because I know that one day he will grow up and that experience will be gone, and I won't have a picture of it. But I'll have these words, and hopefully they will jog my memory and bring it all back to me in that beautiful memory rush. 

A picture could never do it justice. 

 

Comments

[Marcia Van Drunen]

Indeed.
You conjured up many, many pictures. The last was the loveliest.