FINDNG THOSE QUIET MOMENTS IN THE CHRISTMAS SEASON

Early morning photos of snow covered benches and trees bring a different perspective to a common scene. Like life, it is good to view some aspects differently. Taking time away from a stressful situation can bring a clarity that gets missed if immersed in it! Slowing down and feeling an event can allow time for healing too! Distancing oneself from negativity can allow the positive energy to return to our inner souls! The Christmas season can bring mixed feelings too. The demands of family events and the need to sit back and enjoy can be conflictual. Finding the balance may take work! Or sometimes just stop and photograph a pretty scene!

TIME

Everyone has 24 hours in a day. How often do we hear- I do not have enough time! Some people just get more done in a day but often hear from others- I would do that if only I had the time. Time flies when you're having fun! Time definitely does not fly when sitting in a dentist's chair for a cleaning! The game was saved in the nick of time! Yes just before the clock ran out! Jim Croce's Time in a Bottle song was somewhat ironic due to his untimely death. Time marches on! That movie, book, event was a waste of time! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that is a favourite line of every mother! Where did the time go when we speak about aging! Time heals all wounds- usually if you have good stitches and remember to clean the wound! Time to get up! Time to go to bed! Time to eat lunch! Work's over- time to go home. That party- wasn't it a good time! Come by any time! Oh it's late, time to finish! By the way do you know what time it is? My husband always says- it's howdie dowdie time! A moment in time is every snapshot's message! A time to laugh and a time to cry comes from the Bible! What comes to mind when you hear the word time?

THE CHRISTMAS CARD

This time of year brings the task of sending Christmas cards. Some people love doing them, others just want to send an email or a Merry Christmas on Facebook. The tradition is a positive one as it is a way of staying connected with different people that have come into our lives. On our honeymoon in 1971 we met two ladies on the beach- Dorothy and Marge. I still send a card to Marge in Oregon. Dorothy passed away a few years ago but was always on my list. Old work mates, High School friends, family from across Canada and even neighbours are sent a card. My cards to cousins in Italy are sent first, then ones to the United States and coast to coast in Canada. Some years the notorious newsletter is written to update everyone on the year's activities. I actually like to receive them from others as there is more information than the one liner contained in most cards. Hanging them the old fashioned way helps with the home decorating. The photo card types are always welcomed as it is fun to see the changing families. They are included in my album pages from each Christmas. Bundles of Christmas cards from past years are kept in a safe place. By looking at them periodically, little treasures can be found- a homemade child's card to a Mommy! Those bundle of cards can be a composite of one's life. Many with a family member's handwriting can be included in genealogy projects. Do you still send Christmas cards? Do you like to receive them? Or have you joined the easy way of using social media?

THE PHOTO ALBUM

Everyone has a photo album. Most of us have dozens. The wedding album, his side before marriage,your side before marriage, the children, the school years, the travel ablums and our voyage into photo books.

We have our favourites. They become our cherished possessions. Pictures are captured in a moment to last a lifetime. Our loved ones are shown in happy times. One more picture before everyone goes!

Do you ever notice how the themes are so similar? Group family shots, blowing out the birthday candles, children ripping open their presents, travel photos of Buckingham Palace or the Great Pyramids and someone standing beside them. If we peeked into others' photo albums, we would see the similarities.

Photos can be used in family therapy. Just ask for 5 pictures from a recent event and the problems can be identified. Who is on the edge of the group? Who is not in the picture? Let me take your picture and in an instant your head, body moves toward the person, a hug happens simultaneously. Who says no and runs away?

One of my favourite photos occurred while visiting a cemetery on one of my genealogical jaunts. While taking a picture of my great-great grandfather's tombstone in Goodwood, Ontario, my daughter was behind it looking back at the tombstone. Unplanned. The camera seized a moment. What a wonderful family history moment! A great granddaughter at one with an ancestor!

We learn about the photographer through the photos. Lots, few, group shots, scenes, favourite items.

Pictures tell a story. The church above- a wedding about to happen, people arriving, a country setting, must be summer with the brown grass and green trees.

What are your favourite photos? Do you love pictures? Do they come out of the album and get framed on the wall?