If you’ve been following my blog you know that in 2026, I’ve been celebrating the 26th of each month. On August 26th, I celebrated National Popsicle Day with Mom, and I’m with her again for the September 26th celebration of Save Your Photos Day.
Capturing Mom’s Smile
Every time I visit, I experiment with different and new activities, hoping Mom will get excited and get that big smile on her face. Last month, I bought a turntable and found the Tijuana Brass Whipped Cream album that we played a lot in the ’60s and ’70s. Mom didn’t recognize either the album cover or the music. Come to think of it, maybe it was Dad and my brothers that were so enamored with that album.
But when we started looking through her old album she proclaimed what a cute baby she was! She actually is quite cute at age 90, too, so I had to shoot a video to capture that smile:
A Trip Through Time
There was baby Mom, childhood Mom, teenage Mom, and eventually Mom dating Dad. I’ve known her my whole life, of course, but it’s still fun to see photographic proof that she had an entire life before I showed up.
Best of all, Mom was excited to look through the album with me. She recognized and remembered the names of even her parents friends. It’s interesting that this early period of her life is what she seems to remember most. She often seems to wake up thinking her parents are still alive and that her home is in Villa Park, Illinois, a place she hasn’t lived at for over 70 years.
We lingered over the pictures, and she talked about them as we went. I loved watching her enjoy those sweet glimpses of her younger self. I especially loved the early pictures of her with my Dad. They were such a beautiful young couple.
Finding the Joy
A friend recently sent me Courtney Martin’s essay, “The 7 Stages of Elder Care.” One line especially stayed with me:
“The other thing you might remind yourself is that even the most painful of journeys have awe and meaning and intimacy within them.”
That afternoon with the album felt like one of those times. The challenges are tough, but they make the good days so sweet and meaningful.
Save Your Photos Day is a nudge to make sure our pictures don’t disappear into an old box—or the mysterious depths of our phones. I’m glad I saved Mom’s album. I’m even gladder I took it out and shared it with her.
I don’t know what our next visit will be like. This one was lovely, and I’m putting it in my own mental photo album.
