3 Months

3 Months, a photo by Marvett Smith (Savoring the Simple) on Flickr.

3 months. It's been three months today since my dad passed away. I've been thinking about him all day, and about some of the last days we spent together. I thought I shared all of the pictures from our time together while he was in the nursing home, but then I came across this one. This is from our last walk together when we stopped to take a break and eat some popcorn. He actually enjoyed a few minutes of eating one of his favorite snacks and talking with my girl while she and my mom put a puzzle together. You may wonder why he is blurry in all of the images I've posted. I was trying hard to be respectful of his experience, but at the same time I wanted to preserve time. I've loved photography for a long time, but it means so much more to me now. I'm so grateful that I have these images of our last days spent together. They help to flood my mind with all of the things that we talked about and shared. They bring back the details of things that might be lost otherwise, and I wish I had more. I'm so grateful for the story that they tell, and coming across this image, the last one I have of my mom and dad together with his special granddaughter is priceless. We will cherish it forever. Get your camera out and use it often. You don't have to be an expert. Pictures are the next best thing to memories filed away in your heart.