Memory of a Photograph (written March 19 2019)
In this one you are about 20 years old. You are holding a large floppy hat, your hair is blown from the wind, you have a smile that lights up your face, it is summer, but not in the middle of summer, as the grass hasn’t started browning from days of relentless heat. You are wearing shorts and a long sleeved shirt, so I am pretty sure you have just come from the field. There is a dog standing beside you and the large tree that holds the rope swing is so small. You can just make out the entrace to the root cellar/tornado shelter behind you and then in the background you can make out the larger barn and the smaller sheds - everything is painted in the brighter blue. I often wonder who took the photograph. I am guessing it was grandpa - he was always the photographer. I also am curious if you are pregnant with mom in the picture or not - but your face is not lined with the ups and downs of life with its hardship, grief, adventure, pain, happiness, l...