This is not the greatest picture I’ve ever taken. The lighting is bad, there isn’t any beautiful scenery. Most people wouldn’t even give it a second look, I’m sure. And yet to me? It’s probably one of the most beautiful pictures of my family that I’ve ever seen.
I love it. Love. Love. Love. I love it for so many reasons.
The look on Ethan’s face. I’ve seen that look many times. That annoyed, disapproving look. I can only imagine that as I was snapping the shot, he was saying something like “MOM! Are you kidding me? Another picture? Who takes pictures in an elevator anyway? That’s so dumb.” And look at his hair. He has the “Eddie Munster” look going on. He used to do that shit on purpose. He got sick of “fighting” the widows peek and much to my dismay, made a decision to embrace it, to become one with it, to let the peek fall where it may. Oh, how I love that kid.
Andrew. My first baby. This picture was taken before he went “All Pubescent**” on me. He still had the chunky face, the nervous habit of playing with his hands and the “I LOVE SPENDING TIME WITH MY FAMILY SO DANG MUCH” smile on his face. He still loves spending time with his family, he’s just too cool to let it show as freely. You know how teenagers are, all growing hair in places where the sun don’t shine, thinking their too cool for school. Or for bowling with their parents, or for shouting “I love you” back to their mom when she yells it as she drops them off in front of junior high school.
(Funny story about that. It just hit me last night as we were eating dinner that my son, my first baby, will be going to HIGH SCHOOL NEXT YEAR. I shouted out “Oh my God! You’re in EIGHT GRADE, which means, you’re going to be a freshman in high school next year. NO! NO! That can’t be true… how is that possible?!” To which my son rolled his eyes and said “Oh great, here comes the Water Works.” And man, was he right. I couldn’t stop crying and CRAP! I’m crying again now.)
I do believe that the sweetest thing captured in this photo is the love captured between my daughter and her daddy. It reminds me of something that I wrote when she was an infant.
You are looking at the greatest joy in my life right now.
My husband holding our daughter.
The way she smiles at him. The way she grabs his neck and pulls herself close to him. The way she giggles when he looks at her. The way she just loves him and the way he loves her right back times 1000.
There are no words to describe the happiness and fufillment I feel when I watch them together.
We’ll see how true that is when she’s 15 and I tell her “No!” and she’s all “DADDY SAID I COULD… SO SCREW YOU!”
But until that fine day, I will enjoy watching the two of them together, her totally owning him and him loving every minute of it.
Not a day goes by that my husband doesn’t say “She’s the sunshine of my life, Y.” Not a day goes by that she doesn’t squeel for joy when she sees his car coming up the street after a long day of work. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t make him, Mr.I’mTooToughToCry, tear up from her sweetness. They have a special bond and being able to see it so clearly in this picture is the most beautiful thing to me.
Every night, when we lay in bed, my husband thanks me for my children and I thank him for being such an amazing father and sometimes we cry because we know that we are incredibly blessed to have those 3 beautiful human beings in our life.
I never thought when I took that picture on that hot day in September that one day, on a day that I needed it most, it would remind me of what matters the most.
Don’t let the balance in my checking account fool you. I’m rich, people. I’m so filthy rich.
[/The Cheese&trade]
(brought to you by Love Thursday.)
**More on THAT later, because, pooberty is gross.
Y, you are such a beautiful writer. Your words just melt with emotion. When I read this post, I could feel how much you love your family.
You are so very rich, Y. In many many ways.
You’ve never made me cry before! Laugh, sure, but I’m pretty cynical, even when you’re bringing the Cheese. Today I teared up. At work! You are filthy rich, Y, and you and your kids are beautiful. I wish all parents could love and appreciate their kids and what they have as much as you and Tony do. What a beautiful post. Thank you!
You bitch. I’m crying.
A beautiful post as always.
When she’s 15 and goes to Dad first, it’ll be the same as it is now. You will be greatful for the relationship the two of them share.
The first thing I noticed in that picture was how she was looking at her Daddy.
And hey, I like cheese. Even the neon orange waxy stuff that comes in a can with a nozzle.
It can’t get much more beautiful then this! Wow girl! You do have the most wonderful family. I only wish my dad & mother for that matter would have been in my life and been as wonderful as you two are to the joys of your life. 🙂 I love ya Y & all your great posts!
I’m with steen…the love between G-unit & her dad was the first thing I noticed too. I bet if you could see her little finger, he’s all wrapped around it too. Very sweet, Y, and yes, you are rich.
mmm cheese. what a lovely family.
Beautiful post, Y!
And I agree. Pooberty = gross! And I so feel ya on the high school thing. My son is a Freshman (OH HOW THAT HURTS TO TYPE!) this year, and many many of my conversations, random comments, thoughts are plagued with “OMG! I can’t DO this! how DARE he DO this! I FORBID IT!” This is homecoming week – i’m DYING here! Totally not old enough to have a Freshman, and TOTALLY not cool with the whole growing up business! Harumph. How DARE they grow up!
The first thing I noticed too was the way G-Unit and her daddy were looking at each other. It melted my heart. And then I noticed how fun and happy your boys look. You always make me feel so warm and fuzzy and bring tears to my eyes when you write about your family like that. It makes me present to how much I really do love and appreciate my family. My oldest is my son that was 18 this past April and I remember when he was 9 months old how I started crying one day while holding him. My husband asked me what was wrong and I just started bawling about how one day our son was going to be all grown up and how he was going to have another woman in his life. He does have a girlfriend now and it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. But I do know what you mean about them growing up and being proud of them yet also wishing they were still your baby. Bitter sweet indeed. My daughter is almost 12 and is going thru that phase where she thinks her dad is dorky at times (she smiles and rolls her eyes at him). He has gotten dorkier as he’s gotten older but today I told her that no matter how dorky he is or gets, we just have to overlook it cuz in his heart he loves her so much. She’s his baby girl and always will be. She smiled and rolled her eyes. I guess I’m a dork too.
They are quite adorableness, all of them! And if that kid in the middle looked any MORE like you, well…I guess he’d BE you, which would be awkward to say the least.
Thank you for this. Needed it.
I love Ethan’s face. I know it well. My brother wore it for about 6 years straight.
What I love about your kids is how good natured they always seem in your stories. When my mom would whip out the camera for the 5000000th time in the day, our pictures always came out with a lot more eye-rolling and a whole lot more exasperation. I love how your kids are all “Oh, Mom, not again” instead of “I HATE YOU. I DENY RELATION TO YOU.”
It’s really inspiring. Makes me excited to have kids some day.
(How’s THAT for Cheese&trade??)
Oh man, Y – beautiful. Not that you don’t have two very charming and handsome boys, but the first thing I saw in that picture was the look between daddy and daughter. So sweet. And you are – very, very rich.
the 1st thing I noticed was your little girl..the smile! Perfect. I have two beautiful twin girls and I thank God for them everyday, and know I have every thing I could ever need!
How could you NOT adore this family? Blessed you are chica. And you’re 70 years away from old. 😉
my husband says the same thing about his girl. There is something so sweet and special about the love of a father towards his only daughter.
mine has her father, and all her brothers, wrapped right around her little finger.
this post seriously made my eyes tear up. beautifully written!
Everyone has said it all….just ditto ditto ditto about Ethan and Andrew and especially little G-unit with her dad…my god look at that love there between them.
Oh and I think Ethan has a future as a standup comic with that expression…especially if he has inherited your sense of humour Y!!!!
Beatiful beautiful family…all that’s missing is you there in the pic with them to make it complete *S*
Aw, that picture is an amazing picture and I could understand why before you explained. You have a beautiful family and it feels like this picture did capture their personalities perfectly, so natural and at ease. You can tell this wasn’t posed because it’s so real.
You are so blessed. xx
Awe man Y !!
You sure know how to write straight from the heart.
I dont know of anyone that could have said it better.
Beautiful photo and post !
Wow, crying at work before 8 o clock in the freaking morning. Thank-you SO much!
It just makes me sad and happy at the same time. My daughter and my ex have looked at each other that same way a million times in the past twelve years. We split about 2 years ago and they don’t see each other that much. As much as I don’t miss the ex, I miss seeing that look of absolute adoration from both sides. (Usually when she’s looking at me it’s all – GAWD MOM, get off my back.)
Always emotionally honest.
This is a breathtaking post. Absolutely beautiful. What a mama you are!
Oh, that post made me cry. That was incredibly sweet and the first thing I noticed when I looked at the picture was the interaction in baby and father. It’s just soooo sweet and innocent. I’ve got an 8 month old and home and I cannot help but smile when I see just how incredible my husband is with her. She can’t get enough of daddy.
That post made me tear up a little bit!
Y, that was absolutely beautiful. And, did anyone else notice that Andrew looks just like his mama?
LOL on “fuzztache”!
Thanks for the cheese. It was yummy!
Beautiful photograph and commentary!