Memory Lane

My sister sent me this photo today. It was completely unexpected and even better, I have never seen this picture, at least not that I can remember. My sister claims never to have seen it either.

Wow. I love it!

That's me on the left, my dad, and my sister. I'm guessing we are right at a year old. My dad was 25.

I'm not sure why I love this picture so much, except that it seems really to capture each of us and how we relate to each other. We all seem content and comfortable just to be near one another.

My dad stands perfectly still between the two of us, reliable, and his hands are nearly symmetrical. He has always been unquestionably fair to us. Even-Steven: What he does for one, he has always done also for the other, almost to the point of absurdity. That's my dad. He looks like... him. But he also looks human. And a little bit tired. He's got the look of a man with one year-old twins. And he has the look that I imagine I might have if I let someone talk me into going to Sears and posing with my kids while kneeling behind a carpeted platform, in front of a bad landscape backdrop. (Yes, I know I will eventually have to do this.) And look at that tie!

My sister and I also have a symmetry about our hands. We each place one on Dad and one in our lap. I seem to be holding his thumb and Tasha appears to be petting him almost. I see love and affection in all all six of those hands.

When this picture was taken, we were relaxed, interested in whatever the camera-man had suggested, all of us easy-going, willing to cooperate, to smile even... but not so foolish as to fall for it completely. That's a pretty good way to be, whether you're 1 or 36 or 25 or 61, wouldn't you say?

And at least among each other, that's pretty much how it goes with the three of us today: We're content and comfortable just to be near one another. We're relaxed, genuinely interested, easy-going, willing to cooperate, but not so foolish as to fall for anything completely.

We Cryars are a mischievous bunch. Gotta stay on your toes.