Card-Worthy Gratitude

Two minutes ago my husband and I were talking as we kissed our boys goodnight. I was complaining that after what felt like 4 million photos taken earlier this evening, we still might not have the card-worthy shot for which I was hoping.

My son sat up and said, "Mom, you just make everything so complicated!"

I admit it! And I laughed out loud!

Point #1:
Well taken, Will. Thank you for calling a spade a spade, my dear. And yes, momma has never been accused of being low-maintenance!

Point #2:
It is a lot of pressure to find that "right shot" for the Christmas card. To make your card stand out among those received from 200 hundred of the nearest and dearest of every person on your list.

A few days ago I received the Christmas card from my friend of 30-some years. I was cursing her name for one-upping us all, until upon my opening it, I discovered her sheer brilliance! It read something along the lines of Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Blessed New Year. ...and to top it all off it was the most beautiful card I had ever seen with breathtaking photos of her 3 sons. Again I say: brilliance!

I called her immediately! I told her of her magnificence and admitted that I would be totally stealing that idea next year. Not only did her card get the time and attention it so deserves by arriving in a lovely state of pre-Thanksgiving solitude, but also she's done! finished! check-marked off on her to-do list!

And so begins the tale of the quest for that one card-worthy shot.

It started our very simply, really. The grandparents would come over for the family celebration of the boys' 11th birthday (side bar: how can I be that old? Admittedly I am 39, but in my head I am 24!), we'd do dinner, cake, and presents, and then just, real quick, grab that photo.

How hard could it be?

After color-coordinating 6 people, plotting out photo-op combinations and placement such that Tony Dungy might want to see my play book, and prepping the people (you will have to change into a red shirt, don't start complaining, etc.), we were good to go.

Then the drama began: after the first shot the boys got up and started to leave, shouting "we got one", we kept making them come back and try again since Gram's eyes were closed, Grandpa was making a face, Will burped, thank God they were digital so we could check after each one and make sure that at least they were good of me, I mean...really, Grandma started callin' the shots (interesting since I like to be the boss), the men started complaining heavily that this was taking too long...not at all understanding the aforementioned point #2...so now I am (loudly) reminding them that since I will be choosing their nursing homes, they might just wanna simmer down now & do what I say!...and finally, the dog was supposed to be in the picture, but in all of the chaos we didn't even notice that she was devouring Max's chocolate chip cookie cake!

When I think about THE picture that we take every year for the card, I am reminded of a recurring theme: Every single year we have had some National Lampoon-type back story...and yet we manage to capture a great moment springing out of it.

The same is true of life: Amid the utter chaos of our lives are those perfect snapshots of love, family, bliss, everything falling into place, even if only for a second...literally!
...And I am grateful that those are the moments that we choose to capture. Choose to remember.

Those moments that are card-worthy.

The men in our family were just "over it" and complaining relentlessly! But as I teased them that these are the moments of which funeral poster boards are made, I meant it. So sorry, my dear Will, if I do make it more complicated than it needs to be, but when we are dead and gone this will be the pictorial history that we leave behind.

And thank God we are able to capture those moments in our hearts and on film. I am so filled with gratitude that those fleeting moments can live forever as pictures...what a blessing!

Question: What is your most cherished photograph? Why?