March 2023 SOLC–Day 20
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org
We go to bed pretty early, as we both love to read before we go to sleep. (Also, we’re in our 50s…and we’re kind of boring… and we live in Maine where sun sets in the winter before 4 pm. But I’m okay with all of that, and I’m digressing…)
At any rate, usually I head up a few minutes earlier and I’m in bed first. We read with book lights, but I leave the bedroom light on so Kurt can see. He switches it off before coming to bed.
The other night I was the last one up. I walked over to turn off the light. There, lined up on top of the dresser, were three photos: one of each of our children as a child. Kurt must have put them there. When did he do that? How long had they been there? I tried to remember the last time I was the one to turn off the light. It couldn’t have been that long ago.
“Do you look at these every night before you go to sleep now?” I turned to ask Kurt, who was already in bed.
He looked up from his book.
“Yes,” he said, without elaborating.
He didn’t need to.
I get it.
My eyes lingered on each photo, then I turned off the lights, and got into bed.
Nix the comfort zone 
This was such a simple & beautiful slice….and I linger on the pictures of my babies from when they were babies, too. There really are no words to elaborate.
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I think those photos will probably stay there for a while. 🙂
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I love looking at my babies, especially now that they are pre-teens. So many good memories in these “old” photos.
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I love how each photo reveals some of their personality –at least to me. And now they’re almost 30, 28 and 25. Wow!
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That one made me tear up, Molly.
Such a simple ritual of looking at those photos and letting all of those memories flood in. I love how you captured Kurt’s 1 word reply- as in, of course I do. Are these the snapshots you would have expected him to have laid out?
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Such a good question! I do think each photo captures a little bit of the personality of each child. I’m going to be thinking about that more though…
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Beautiful way to go to sleep. I love that middle photo with the bus waiting…and the one in front of the fence looks like a post card…and the bare feet crossed with the satisfied look of a comfortable chair with two cats to share it. Great.
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Those days…long ago…yesterday…
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I like your captured this slice. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
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This slice is very touching. Thanks for including the photos of your beautiful children. Your husband sounds like a gem!
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He’s kind of a diamond in the rough! lol
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Oh, how extremely tender. Thank you for sharing this lovely slice!
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My husband and I are total softies anymore and tease each other about it…gently though and with deep understanding.
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We have a triptych of our girls at the same age, maybe 3, in our hallway that I brought home when we cleaned out my parents’ house. Now we look at it to see if our grandchildren look like them. Such a loving moment captured by your slice.
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I took down a wall of family photos a few years ago when I painted the hallway and stairway wall. Now I’m wondering if I should put them back up …or at least a few of them..
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Oh. This is lovely. Thank you for sharing this moment.
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We’re both hopelessly nostalgic anymore.
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Thanks for sharing your kids’ pictures. It’s fun to know a little more about your beautiful family.
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I should have put up a “now” photo 🙂
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It’s not too late to give us a slice with the kids updated pictures.
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I read this early this morning. It’s such a tender slice. The story behind you discovering the photos and how they got there is so sweet. Unexpected, thoughtful surprise. Well
Done, Kurt!
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I loved how he had them lined up there to see every night.
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Sunset before 4pm? Yikes, I thought before 5 (at our peak of earliness) was bad. But, the photos, I get it too. I miss my boys every day…and their boys even more. I love that sweet new tradition…
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The sun sets at about 3:45 for a couple of weeks in December. It was a really tough adjustment when we moved here!
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As I dropped off my oldest back to college, going on college visits with my second, and looking at my “baby” as she is almost done with her freshman year in high school, I felt all the feels in this slice! (Your kids are adorable!)
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You are in a big time of transition! I’m about 10 years ahead of you. On the plus side, having adult children is pretty awesome. But I do miss their long-ago baby selves, too!
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Oh, this was lovely! It made me misty-eyed. I have two sons, ages 6 and 2. Right now I am very much in the thick of things, but I often think about the other side of it. You gave me that glimpse. Today I wrote a poem essentially about their growing up, so I think I was primed for this to hit me right in the feels! Thank you.
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Thanks! I wish I’d written more when my children were younger so that I’d have captured some of those times. You’ll be so glad, later, to have that poem and any child-related slices.
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Such a tribute to the passing of time and simple memories to be found in a photograph. No need for words!
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Oh, that is amazing. I’m so glad you added the photos. They are precious. Yes, no need to elaborate. Priceless.
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