I’ve been away this week. And believe, me, I’ve missed you and the pretty little world that I enjoy contributing to on a daily basis. But early this week, Bryan (my ever-so-precious and gem-of-a-man boyfriend) and his family lost the life of Laurence O’Toole, their grandfather, father, husband, and friend. His passing was peaceful, and the entire family surrounded him in his final moments.
We’ve spent the week with family, cherishing old memories, pouring over old photos (I can’t even begin to describe the absolute look of perfection that Bryan’s grandparents possess in their old photos from the 40’s) and savoring a good many comfort foods together.
One thing that has impressed me most about this week is the legacy Bryan’s grandfather intended to pass down. Without much of a family history to speak of, he made it his aim early in life to leave his children and grandchildren a history of photographs and written stories that could be added to and passed down. This dedication to preserving and passing down history got me thinking about the beautiful photography I feature here on a daily basis and it’s preserving nature. I think I sometimes forget the significance of a photo in the context of 100 years. But one day, to our grandchildren and great grandchildren, these images will become ever more invaluable. In this digital world, I encourage you to print some of your photos, label them, organize them, write about them and the people and memories and moments that they preserve. Your future generations will be all the more enriched by your foresight. I know Bryan’s family has been.
Though I don’t have a digital picture of Bryan’s grandfather, Larry, I’ll leave you with a little picture that is reminiscent of him. He was a rather dashing WWII pilot who flew the P-38, pictured below with gents much like the ones here.
Thank you for your patience, dear readers. I’ll be back up and running tomorrow and will be full steam ahead next week!