Family photos stir all kinds of memories for most people. For me, when my kids were little, I remember the frustration and tears (theirs and mine) in trying to get the “perfect” photo. It never failed that if one was smiling the other wasn’t, or inevitably if they were both smiling, my eyes were closed. I also remember the goofy family photo that was taken when I was about 6, right after my brother chose to cut his own hair. I can only imagine how my mother must have felt! It is funny how a family photo can stir so many feelings.
For my children, a family photo represents belonging. When my daughters, ages 7 and 8, came home from Ukraine they could not wait to be in the family photo up on the wall. For them, it was visual validation that they belonged in our family. There were no tears of frustration, just excitement and anticipation of when the photo would finally be hung on the wall for all to see.
Even 5 years later, my children still enjoy the family photos (this picture was on a recent vacation to Florida). They love the preparation, the clothes, the hair, the poses they all try… during the session they laugh, joke and play. They still wait in anticipation to see the photos and getting them up on the wall for display. A sense of belonging, proof and physical evidence they belong.
Nancy O’Dell, host of prime time television’s Access Hollywood shares “family photo albums are so powerful in that they make kids feel valued, cherished, and respected.” If you ask me, a family picture really is worth more than a thousand words.
Say cheese!
Quote taken from BrainyQuote.com
Lydia Tarr
Lydia Tarr works as the International Program Director for MLJ Adoptions’ programs in Bulgaria and Ukraine. She is the adoptive mother of four children from Ukraine and was recognized as a 2013 Angel in Adoption by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) Angels in Adoption Program.
Lydia Tarr
Lydia Tarr works as the International Program Director for MLJ Adoptions’ programs in Bulgaria and Ukraine. She is the adoptive mother of four children from Ukraine and was recognized as a 2013 Angel in Adoption by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) Angels in Adoption Program.