Objects in frames

The photo of my Grand parents on the mantle is a huge memory trigger for me.

The snapshot is of my grandparents, it is black and white in a silver brushed frame. They are smiling on a curved concrete bench looking so dapper and in love. The love on their faces is the timeless love. They look so young and pretty, the golden ones. They are in their early 30’s it appears. His legs are crossed, I can’t remember if hers are. His arm is carelessly resting on his knee, his smile so big and warm. She has a big, proud closed mouth smile, the, “I have a secret” smile. The faces are what hold me. I can almost see them looking back. I feel so close to them in that photo because the love is so strong from it. I think it would lose something in color, that spark would not be there.

My Mom found the photo in a box of old ones my Uncle took when my Grandma died. He took the majority of the old family photos, so this is an especially precious object. My Mom had copies made for us. I think this is the best gift I have ever received from her.

The day I got it was a dreary day, I opened the big envelope and out fell the bubble wrapped frame. I stared at it for a few seconds before I opened it. When I saw it my heart froze and I felt this enormous lump in my throat. I traced their faces and cried. Much as I am beginning to do now.

I look at the picture everyday and I feel them with me. I can almost hear their voices as I look at it. I am rather fond of Harry Potter and the picture conjures up images of the Mirror of Erised. I know they can’t see me, but it feels so real. I can see and hear them almost as if they were here. In that photo they are frozen in love and time. He never died too young and left her alone, she never died and left me alone. I wasn’t. My Mom wasn’t. My uncles weren’t. It was just them. They just were. They were how they should have always been, young and in love. It is a perfect moment of happiness captured forever in time.

I was totally lazy and copied this from a prior writing...more self plagiarism coming