That Photo

written by: Collette Cottingham; Creatively Hip

 

My day can be quite overwhelming at times. I could let my thoughts consume me. Or let my mind wander to the many piles mounting on my desk. How can I possibly get all this done and learn my new duties?

I look past my piles of work to the smiling faces staring back at me. My chest relaxes. I am okay. Everything will be fine. All my piles will be completed in the correct order.

Just seeing the faces of my loved ones puts me at ease. I can hear their laughter. I can see joy shining through their eyes. I am blessed. Life is good.

Photos give me joy. It is a simple thing, yet it can put me at ease. It really doesn’t matter what the photo is. I love other people’s photos as well.

You can stop me anytime and show me the photos on your phone. Each photo has a story. I like to observe people as they recall a memory from their photo. Even something that seemed quite traumatic at the time is now a laughable memory.

This is a good reminder that everything does work itself out. You can look back with pride. Or recall a moment of a great accomplishment. I made it through the storm.

I try to remember this when I am going through those moments. On a vacation a few years ago I put my credit card into the dollar bill slot at a Tram Station. The dollar slot graciously took my card. I was in a foreign country, there is a language barrier, and my credit card is gone…complete panic.

I took a deep breath. I would be okay. A woman working at the tram station was kind enough to follow my sign language. She got up with a ring of keys and rescued my credit card and my sanity.

I felt silly. It was a good reminder for me to slow down and pay attention. My brother snapped a photo of me and my lucky machine. At the time I didn’t think it was amusing. I wanted to forget it ever happened. I said, “We are never to mention this.”

Well, we talk about it. It is a precious memory. A lesson learned and a laughable moment in time. I am actually proud of myself. I took a deep breath and worked through the problem. And I was okay. Everything is okay.

A photo gives me peace and reminds me to slow down and live in the moment. Things have a way of working themselves out. You need to enjoy the ride.

May your photos bring a smile to your face, warm your heart, fill your soul with joy and give you peace.