DANIEL MCCLOUD

For my birthday, my wife gave me one of those electronic picture frames that you can upload pictures into. Apparently, they’ve gotten more sophisticated, and you can wirelessly upload photos directly from your phone so I spent one afternoon doing exactly that. Afterwards, I took the frame to my office, where once, during a break in the monotony of the day, I found myself staring at the photos as they slowly scrolled by.

I went down memory lane to a simpler time, a younger time, a younger version of me, although probably less wise. However, as the pictures continued to transition, I immediately noticed the number of relatives who had passed away. I wondered about the time I had spent with them and the times I had planned to spend with them but didn’t. I imagined what I would say to them if I had that time back.

“I see the happiness, I see the pain. Where am I? Back down memory lane”

There were photos of birthdays, family reunions, and graduations. Church photos and photos from sporting events, of friends and family. I then found myself wondering what the individuals in the photos were thinking as the photos were snapped. Now knowing how they passed, did they know of their future illness? How could they? No one can predict what the future holds, right? That’s the thing about photographs and memories, they show us where we’ve been, not where we’re going. But can they predict the future? The saying is that we can learn from our past, and if that’s the case, then perhaps the photographs can predict our future.

As the photos continued to scroll, I began to recall all the circumstances surrounding the days and times those singular moments preserved. Sometimes we find out things after the fact, and as I watched the past scroll by,

“I see the happiness, I see the pain. Where am I? Back down memory lane”

Was there pain behind the smiles? Did they know sacred secrets yet to unfold? The bottom line is that we can’t change the past; rather, we must consider the lessons of time lost, and time well spent. I thought about Samuel L. Jackson’s character Sam, who once said in the movie “Fresh,” “Anything lost can be found again, except for time wasted.” So, forgetting what was before and after the camera click, we know for that moment, life was good.

My mind started racing ahead to days yet to come, and I wondered if one day there would be someone looking at a photo of me, asking themselves the same questions that raced through my mind and that you may now be pondering.

A quote often attributed to former University of Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz comes to mind. He once asked his team, “If you weren’t here, would anyone miss you?” When analyzing the quote, it speaks to adding value to others’ lives, in the way that you treat them. Meaning that you are only dearly missed if you influence people’s lives in a positive way, in each encounter. Recognizing that these actions and behaviors must be intentional, yet natural.

“I see us standing there, such a happy,
happy pair; Love beyond compare,
look a-there, look a-there”

In reflecting on the past, I can say that the people in the photos impacted my life in a positive way. And although it saddens me that they are no longer here, I find solace in the time that they spent with me, the love that they gave and the wisdom they shared.

So, as we enter a new year, let us not forget to smile during those frozen moments in time when we encounter each other. Recognizing that while we may have differences, we are alike in that we can all strive to be better and show kindness towards each other. And as we author our own memories, we can only hope that one day someone will look back on their encounters with us, and we too will be missed.