The Significance of a Simple Snapshot in Family Moments

One of my favourite things about photography is going back through the images. I used to check my camera far too often while in the moment and shooting, now I aim to shoot conservatively and encourage my family members who get handed my camera. I am however able to be much more present in the moment, so present that I forget about many of the photos until I go through them.

On Christmas Eve, I quietly took a moment to myself and asked my brother for a sign. Knowing he would be there, without a doubt, and how much his presence would be missed. I knew, he would make himself known.

Christmas evening as my Grama and I were sitting on the couches, she looked at me and said ‘he’s here’, I, confused at first, looked up at her and she pointed to her rose quartz bracelet she was wearing, Adam had bought for her. Such a heartfelt sign. Especially for grama to word it that way.

Boxing day was beautifully relaxing with so much gratitude. Time spent together, memories made and captured and gifts given and received. As I spent most of the day going through our photos from Christmas, my heart was again reminded. There was 1 photo of me and my siblings. I honestly thought there was more. My daughter taking the photo was having a very hard time getting the camera to focus when it was my siblings and our spouses. I had to help my daughter a couple times to get the camera to focus – yet I could take photos of others and they were in focus. While going through them today, I realized we had 1 sibling photo, of me with my brother and sister. Then it hit me, I found the photo of the siblings and spouses and there beside my brothers head, is our brothers Angel ornament. In the photo below his ornament is directly behind our brother. How appropriate that its beautifully lit up behind us, or the fact that I didn’t realize only 1 was captured and this was it.

Here is our sibling photo… where we all, appear more as each other, even our spiritual sibling. Pretty cool way to get my attention little brother…

I had to go through many of the extended sibling photos as well, again the camera not focusing for my daughter with all of us in the photo. In this one below, the ornament is to the right of my brothers head.

Enjoying our last Christmas with family today and then we will begin to pack things up. Its been enjoyable these past few days including some organizing and de-cluttering. Part of this shift after the holidays is also freeing, which includes freeing up space physically and emotionally. Freeing and permission to feel. To enjoy the down time with no plans. Allowing myself time to relax and come back into flow.