A while back I had written about my Papa, my grandfather on my dad's side. I had mentioned his involvement with carnivals...how he travelled and owned rides and snack shacks and a photo booth. I mentioned how he carried photos that were taken in that booth of my grandmother and my aunt Sandy until his last days.
Well, these are those photos. They were probably taken a couple of years apart as my aunt looks different and Grandma's hair style is changed up a bit!
I keep them in my "other" bible...the one my mom gave me for Christmas when I was little...maybe 8 or 9 or so. The one with my name engraved on the front in gold. There is a small handful of items that I keep in this bible that I tuck away in my
armoire...letters, handmade bookmarks made at Sunday School...things like that. Special things. Things like these photographs.
I just loved these photos. I loved that they were so old...that they were from photo booths...that they were of my grandmother and my aunt...but really, I think I mostly loved them so much because they were so dear to Papa. I think I wanted them with me because they were with him for so long. He carried them for years...and I remember him pulling them out on occasion to show them to me. And just the way he'd take them out of his wallet so gingerly...it was always a tender moment.
After Papa died my dad asked me if I wanted anything of his...and these were it. Papa lived to be 89 years old. And Grandma and aunt Sandy had long been gone. Grandma died when I was 13 and aunt Sandy died when I was 19. So they'd both been gone a while. But Papa kept those photos in his wallet, always.
Life is a crazy thing sometimes, isn't it? I really miss them. And wish they were still here...
8 comments:
Oh Michelle. What a beautiful story. What treasures those photos and memories are. Thank you. Thank you.
That is so wonderful that you have those pictures. I have an old baby picture of my father and his twin, but that's the only old picture I have and it's only from 1950. I don't have any of my grandparents when they were young like you do. What a treasure!
i enjoyed reading this Michelle. Those photos are in very special hands.
Very sweet! I love old photos and I love photo booth photos! I take them with my kids every few years, just for kicks! They're great to look back on.
Carnival Papa. How sweet.
I loved my grandfather's wallet too. He kept a picture of my mom and aunt in his that I loved and have now. Funny the treasure we tuck away in our bibles. Pulled mine out yesterday to find things from church retreats from high school. How wonderful you have these little photo gems. They may be gone, but they are always with us.
Such love and sweetness in that story. I'm glad you have those treasured photos.
wow, what a precious memory. not just the photos but the memories of seeing your papa "love" on those pictures by keeping them with him.
i also love that you keep them in a Bible!!
how nice to have these reminders. what a gift!
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