I took care of my grandmother for about three years before she died. She died when she was 99 years old. She lived in the same house for approximately 77 years. She knew every single inch of that house…inside and out. I think I knew the house pretty well…but I didn’t want to forget it. Right before my grandmother died, I saw a photography exhibit. The entire exhibit was photos of the photographer’s mother’s house…..right after she died. The little details, the small moments…that you might otherwise forget.
I knew I had to do this…..and I am so glad that I did. After my grandmother died, before I started cleaning everything out…I went through the house and took many photos of all the rooms….doorknobs, photos, wallpaper, plates, light switches…..things that I knew my grandmother treasured.
Things that seemed so small and insignificant….yet held so many memories. Lightswitches that my grandmother turned on and off thousands of times, dishes that my grandmother cleaned over and over again, railings that helped my grandmother get up and down the stairs..year after year after year…..the wood worn down to show the years….
I am so glad that I have these memories….and I look back at them often.
They are photos that I will treasure for a lifetime……