I have been trying to capture an elusive picture recently - a picture of my 6-year-old heartily laughing at a joke or antic. I can picture him, sitting on our couch, his short legs stretched out before him, his face still, hands folded in his lap, listening intently to a story I'm reading.
Then comes the funny part, and his blue eyes light up with pleasure, a hearty laugh rolling out of his wide open mouth, his head thrown back and shoulders shaking.
It is, my friends, a beautiful picture. A delightful picture. One that makes me want to laugh, cry and hug him all at the same time.
The camera is never nearby when the laugh comes - on one hand I think that's good. How can film capture the essence of his innocent, 6-year-old mirth? On the other hand, I wonder, "Will I remember? Will I be able to picture him this way when he is older?"
I always thought I'd never forget what my children were like when they were tiny. But life is full of so many memories, I cannot contain them all. I look at my albums and think, 'Who are these little people? Who is this cute little toddler, dressed in a sundress, with 20 necklaces around her neck, white dress gloves on her hands and a purse on her elbow - all with the paci in her mouth?'
I am thankful for my pictures, real & imaginary. So, today, I have a picture in my mind of 6-year-old Isaac, laughing with pleasure as he read to me this section from Dr. Suess's classic One fish two fish red fish blue fish:
Who is this pet?
Say!
He is wet.
You never yet
met a pet,
I bet,
as wet as they let
this wet pet get.
(how could you not laugh?)
poetry wednesday
4 comments:
Yes, what a beautiful picture. Unadulterated joy. Children are such amazing gifts from God, taking pleasure in simple things in the moment, not ensnared by thoughts of the past nor worrying about the future, not spoiled by the ugliness which I know lives within me. Thank you for this post. Lovely.
PS Still needing to read your lecture!
That Dr. Suess book has captivated all of my kids at one time or another. It's a great one!
What a lovely photo of Issac. I was moved by your reflections - by your gratitude at being able to capture amidst the busyness a moment of simple pleasure. I was just telling Paige how sweet your children are - all four of them. You should be proud...oops! I don't think Nybergs say "proud" ; ). You should be pleased, very pleased!
That is so true... how do you keep all those memories? As new comes in some filter out. Keep them close, write them down, savor them periodically.
One of the reasons for my blog is to capture some of those memories - but there are so many that fade. I enjoyed your post - maybe you should try the Dr. Seuss tests on Sporcle(dot)com. They are a lot of fun, but I am always missing a word or two.
Post a Comment