As Time Moves On

  Cleaning up from our family reunion Me and younger sister Mary was reminiscing about our past childhood. I was dusting the bookcase when a book dropped on the floor. Landed on my big toe shaped like a dictionary. Ow holding on to my foot rubbing my toe “Always got to be the big toe.” Mary quickly entered the room “Sarah are you okay I heard you…”, Mary looked down toward my foot saw our old family photo album Mary picked it up. Her eyes lighted up and sprinted toward the couch waving Sarah over to come over. mumbled “Thanks Mary for asking how my big toe feels.” Mary scoffed at Sarah “Sarah when have you never hurt your big toe you are so clumsy. You’ll be fine come see this picture of us at the water park.” Sarah’s eyes followed Mary’s index finger at the water park picture a joyous gleam in Mary’s eyes. Remembering mom wanted to take a picture to put in our family album. Mom was always taking pictures of us and putting them in our family photos. Before she married dad mom was photography and would travel the world. Mother always had an eye for a great photo.” Mary nodded Yes, the photo at the beach when the sunset was beautiful. A picture with dad and us with the sun on our backs the colors bring out our photo. Mom had many amazing pictures filled with memories in this family photo. Mary snickers a little “yeah remember later that night how we ate the chocolate volcano cake and got a stomach ache the next day.” Both remember mother highly against them eating all the cake but with some well-motivated puppy dogs’ eyes, we manage to convince both mom and dad into buying us that cake. Our stomach hurts but we never regretted eating all that chocolate goodness.

We looked further into the other pictures in the album seeing our first time riding a bike and being chased by our neighbor dog’s Jesse is lab friendly but always love chasing us down the street. “Remember when you fell on your bike Mary and sprang your ankle Jesse was right beside you to comfort you while you were crying like a baby.’ Mary blushed and giggle remembering Jesse licking her on repeatedly before mom came with the first aid kit. “Yeah, I miss Jesse she was a good dog, both signed, and am going to miss this house too,” I remember that they will be selling their old house since mom can’t take care of herself. The house is silent but still full of memories of the past. They turned the page and show a picture of the house they both live in after they moved from the apartment it was a big step for us. “You don’t remember this Mary but we would go to our cousin’s houses and collect pennies from their house to put in our piggy bank. I looked sign of nostalgia slowly pasting myself into the pages until my eyes caught something. I firmly grabbed Mary’s hand and turned back to the last page. Mary’s eyes slowly tear up seeing the last family photo of us all together.

How both grew up and our parents started to get older with time. Both mom and dad were showing gray in their hair; dad had a bad car accident that made his left leg damage on prepared. He uses to have a cane to help him walk. Mary “we should have taken more photos of us all together I should…” I patted Mary on the back telling her it’s okay. After that photo when Mary graduated from college, she soon started her job as a Counselor and volunteered for mentoring kids. Including myself was having to help with the kid’s homework and then increase in work hours. Didn’t have time to spend with our parents’ focusing on other important problems. Mary chuckled softly “it feels like being a child was the best time not having that many problems to deal with.” Mary slowly wiped off the tears from her cheeks. “Time went by so fast and it seems we have our hands full now than we did as kids.” I nodded “But we have to move forward and make more memories for our kids.”

Mary turned to the last page and saw that it was empty. Both of us had the same idea a smile from each other. Making new memories of the present and remembering the past with the old family album continuation for the next generation. I have gotten up from her setting grabbing their old camera “am surprised that this still works after all these years”. I cleaned the camera slowly walking next to Mary as she looked at the last family picture. “I miss dad you remember at your wedding party when we dance to Let’s Groove by and how dad was dancing. Had everyone laughing and having fun even if he only had one good leg.” He always had a smile on his face looking at the family photo of dad smile full showing all teeth. Dad always knows what to say to bring a smile to your face. He and mom were always having fun together seeing that made me want that relationship for marriage. I looked at her ring and smiled finished cleaning the camera calling in the kids to come in. Mary had twins’ boys and I had a little girl and a boy. Running in the house “did you guys finish with the clean outside lets that a family photo”. Both the husband also came in from cleaning outside and watching the kids play. “Hey let’s take a family photo everyone come near the couch.” Everyone slid in to fit in the couch and I walked back to get everyone in. “Okay everyone says cheeses”, everyone smiled. The photo wasn’t as good as mom was but we will remember cherishing the memories by creating new ones.