Growing up in my family, vacation usually meant traveling around the great lakes to photograph lighthouses. I frequently followed behind my dad with my mom’s SLR camera and lugging camera bags. Liz and I have continued this tradition. Sure, the camera is different, the camera bag is a backpack, and everything is digital. In the summer of 2010, I finally bought a digital SLR camera and a couple of lenses.
We played with this new toy a little bit here and there, but it rarely came out of the bag for nearly 6 months.
What I didn’t know was that this camera was going to play a huge role for both of us in healing from the loss of our daughter. We both turned to the camera to find perspective in our lives. We have taken thousands – maybe tens of thousands – of pictures since Samantha’s passing.
The camera allows us to focus on what’s important. We can crop out the bad parts. We can take as many shots as it takes to get it right.
The more pictures we take, the easier it is to see things worth remembering.
The camera also insulates us. It is a physical barrier between us and the cruel reality of being childless parents.
We’ve done a lot more traveling since January 27th, 2011. We’ve made it a point to go out and experience life. Even if we just go for a stroll along the Mississippi River, the camera bag is on my back and we are ready to capture life in full color.
