Take More Photos

Every year on my dad's birthday, I post a picture of him on my social media, and every year there is this sudden broken feeling when I re-realize that the picture I am posting is one that I have posted a dozen times before. It's a good picture, it's from when he was young, and happy, and doing what he loved. But it's still just one old photo.

There will never be any new photos of my dad.

That thought echoes in my mind and rattles against my ribcage. I can't get rid of it. I was very young when he died, and I remember life when he was sick, but I don't have an insane amount of solid memories of him. Just old pictures. There are a few pictures of him as a young adult, a few baby pictures and school photos, but only a handful of him as I knew him, and most of the ones I am in with him aren't very high quality. Which is freakishly annoying!

I don't have a single video of him either. I can't remember the way he walked. I think I kind of remember how his voice sounded, but only when he was singing. Whenever I try to imagine his voice the only thing I manage to draw up is his singing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not writing this up to make anyone feel sad, or to make you feel sorry for me or anything like that (but if pity points will get me a nice tip... I'd be up for some pity). The point is to encourage you to do one huge life-changing important thing:

TAKE MORE PHOTOS.

Do it. I promise, you'll thank yourself for it one day. Or maybe someone else will thank you for it. I wish someone had taken more pictures of my dad. So go take pictures of the people you love! And not just of them, but with them too! Even if you go and live a super long happy life, you could have grandkids, and great grand kids, and great great grandkids someday who would love to be able to put a face to a name when your kids or grandkids tell them about you and your life and your stories. And do not use disliking photos of yourself as an excuse to step out of the shot either! You are amazing and the people that love you already know what you look like anyway!

I think that we all really forget how important and amazing pictures are, especially with how easy it is now-a-days to just pull out your phone and take a shot. And videos are cool fun and important too! Whenever I say pictures, the same goes for videos too!

I'm not advertising for a world where we all walk around with our phones glued to our hands, recording every moment in case someone drops dead. I just want you to have more pictures. And maybe that's just me. maybe I'm making up random sentimental tropes out of my unresolved Daddy Issues, but even if I'm way off target, it wouldn't hurt to take a few extra pictures.

It wouldn't hurt to tell your wife or girlfriend "You look so beautiful right now and I just want to take a picture of you."

It wouldn't hurt to say "Hey mom/grandma, we haven't taken a picture together in a while, would you be in my selfie?"

And pulling your friends into one of those cheesy low quality photo booths at the mall is never a bad idea!

Live in the moment, of course, don't miss out on a second! But it's also nice to have something to help you remember that moment down the road.

TAKE MORE PHOTOS.