The photographs that are left behind
Every photograph holds a moment still, even when everything around it continues to move
There's a very specific piece of advice I read somewhere that goes, “Photograph one completely ordinary day once a month”, that keeps me wondering what it could mean.
It definitely sounds confusing and oddly specific.
But then, it hits me.
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We wait for special occasions just to take pictures with someone. The last day of school for a photo opportunity with your crush in high school. The last day of internship so you could take one with that one instructor who inspired you to be better.
We wait until we get that perfect timing.
Yet, we never really know when that will be.
We don't need to wait for the next Christmas to have that family picture. Valentine's Day doesn't have to be the only reason to take a photo with your significant other. And birthdays shouldn't be the only occasions when we remember to capture someone's smile.
Take a shot of the pile of laundry you couldn't wash with your Mom on busy weekdays. Take a shot of that piece of wood your Dad couldn't finish on a Tuesday. Take a shot of the shoes your sister left cluttered on the doorway. Take a shot of that basketball your younger brother left behind after playing.
At the end of the day, it was never just about the people in the photographs. It’s about the little moments you shared together, the ordinary days that we overlook but moments we will eventually miss the most.
Because after the moment is gone, the photographs are the only reminder that each memory wasn’t just a good dream.
