I have spent that last week or so reorganizing and updating our digital photos.  Lesson of the week:  one should never work with family photographs when one is hormonal AND nostalgic.  Otherwise you do the ugly cry, with lots of sobbing and dripping snot.  You know the one I’m talking about.

I have also realized all other again that the days are long (infinitely and endlessly long, so long that somedays you crawl into bed and fantasize about staying there forever).  However, the years are short (infinitesimally and fleetingly short, so short that you look back and honestly wonder where it all went.)  And in honor of that valuable lesson I have created the following visual reminder.

THEN: My Dad’s high school senior picture.  Go ahead and say it, he’s a looker.

NOW:  My Dad a few weeks ago.

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THEN: My oldest daughter with her deliciously chubby cheeks.

NOW: My oldest daughter, without the chubby cheeks, but with delicious freckles instead.

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THEN:  Our oldest family picture I have on record.  Taken, I believe, in 1980, when suits with long pointy collars were all the rage.   (I’m the oldest girl in the back.)

NOW:  Our most recent family picture.  There’s quite a few more people in it now.  (I’m the girl with multiple chins.)

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THEN:  My oldest daughter, wearing the blue swimsuit with white polka-dots.

NOW:  My youngest daughter, wearing the blue swimsuit with white polka-dots.

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THEN:  My oldest two children in the brown chair.

NOW:  My oldest two children in the brown chair.

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THEN:  My youngest child with her cousin on a couch.

NOW:  My youngest child with her cousin, on the couch.

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THEN:  My Dad with my son.

NOW:  My Dad with my son.

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The next time you have an endless day and you think to yourself, “This is the eight millionth time I’ve loaded this dishwasher!” just remember:  the years are short.  They truly are. While blue swimsuits with white polka dots and chairs and couches last for a long time, babies grow up and parents grow old.  Love ‘em while you got ‘em.