Last evening Kristi and I met with a new customer who asked us to create a book detailing her life story. Having been a dancer for many years, this vital and energetic septuagenarian breaks the mold of your typical great-grandma.
As I reviewed her photos this morning - several hundred of them - I watched young children mature to adults, and I noticed the styles change in cars, hairdo's and fashion. I even observed the changes in photography since the 1940s as I thumbed through thick colorized portraits, tiny black & white snapshots, grainy disc camera photos, and slick digital prints.
The montage also gave me an eagle's-eye view of a much bigger picture as I stared at her composite of 70 years. Clearly, her loved ones are the focus of not only her photos, but of her life. My glimpse of her family, her activities and hobbies - even her celebrity crush - were counterbalanced by hurt and loss, including the void left by her son who died unexpectedly at age 28.
I consider it my good fortune that I'm regularly reminded at Beyond the Trees that what makes our lives rich and what makes them run deep are the ups and downs, the good times and bad times, our joys and our sorrows. I found a poem nestled in the photos of the son she lost, and I was struck by one of its verses:
"My life's been full, I savored much/
Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch."
A full life that has been savored. I found that in her photo box.
- Jennifer Sauers