The date was March 1st, 2009. The Patton gang had gathered with extended family in Ohio to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of an aunt and uncle. We enjoyed our time together, as we always do. At the end of the afternoon, an aunt offered to snap a quick picture of us before we all headed home. So three generations of Pattons, 14 of us in all, squeezed together and took what would turn out to be the last group photo we have. It's not the best picture by any stretch of the imagination. The lighting was poor, the clarity of the image a little fuzzy, and a few of us blinked or were distracted by other things when the flash went off. But to our family this photo has become absolutely priceless. You see, my brother-in-law, John, at the age of 48, died from cancer just five months after the photo was taken.
Since then, I've come to realize just how important it is to document our time together. Life really is too short. And our time with each other, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, is limited. So promise me something. Make it a priority to get moving on capturing images of you with the special people in your life. Whether you ask a stranger to take a picture of you, use the timer setting on your point and shoot, or even go as far as calling in a professional, just promise you'll do it. Trust me. Someday you'll be so grateful you did. :)
Below are a few family images from this summer and early fall. Enjoy!
Now get snapping! :)
