Truth be told....I write this with a bit of a tear in my eye....not to get too melodramatic over a…read moreyelp review....but pictures...when done perfect and if your in a particular sentimental mood....can have that effect.
Some backstory...Imagix/Michelle has done our yearly photos for our son from ages 1 to now 5.
(See my past reviews). From somehow capturing a perfect moment from our perpetually moving blur of a son (ages 1-3) to patiently instructing four 70/80 year olds on how to hold their aforementioned 4 year old Tasmanian Devil grandson last year, Michelle is a magician/artist...I always leave the photoshoot stressed from the chaos Hurricane Daniel (our son) leaves in his wake....But every year we come back to look at the proofs and are amazed at Michelle ability to capture "lighting in a bottle" .
This year was no different. Fortunately we survived the terrible 2's (...3's....4's....) and thanks to time, maturity, and the opposite of gentle parenting, our little Daniel, though far from perfect, is manageable. But we didn't want to make it too easy for Michelle, so we threw in another variable.
After a recent canine cancer scare, and recently learning from Google that all dogs, however loyal and cute, unfortunately have an inescapable life, span, I somehow convinced my beautiful but camera shy wife that this is the year we do a family photo with our dog.
Some more backstory, if you read this far, our Yorkie, Libby, loves us but HATES the rest of the world. She spent the entire hour photoshoot in perpetual scowl and Volume 11 non stop bark.
One week later as she always does, lighting in a bottle perfection. I looked at the proofs with amazement. Our son, we expected....she's done it every year, but how she made a loud perpetual yapping bark into a impossibly cute smile is above my skill set. But I think her greatest feat is how she lessened the "he must be rich" looks gap between my wife and I. My wife is easy, even me with my amateur Android skills, it's hard for her to take a bad picture. Michelle mastery came with how she elevated me to "he must be funny" looks gap level.
So why the tear? We loved one of the pics so much we purchased a large framed canvas print to hang on our living room wall. My 85 year old happened to be in town for his grandsons 5th bday so I asked him for an helping hand hanging the picture. I figured he has these family portrait hanging at my childhood home. My brother and I with our full head of hair and my mom shoulder pads captured the 90's to a tee...but what I always remember is the "proud" look my dad had on his face. A look of accomplishment shouting "look at me world and all that I love and created".
Watching my aging dad struggle, listing to my aging dog bark in a locked room to protect my dad's ankles, I was suddenly reminded that time, as much as you want to hit pause, always moves forward. It's a good idea to stop and smell the roses, or in this case, look at the snapshot/memories/moments and take it all in.
After my dad handed me the leveler and I put away the hammer, and I looked up....and yeah....I had that "Dad" look
