[ Me with my Pa-Paw ]

Do not underestimate the importance of pictures.

My cousin recently shared some pictures of her and my Grandma on Facebook. She had the pictures done professionally because she only had selfies of her and my Grandma. She wanted someone else to capture their relationship so that she would be able to look at these pictures long after my Grandma is gone from this earth and enjoying Heaven with my Granddad.

My cousin shares a special bond with my Grandma. As my Grandma has aged, becoming more dependent on the help of others, my cousin has stepped up and been such a support to my grandma. The pictures of the two of them together are priceless and worth every cent my cousin paid to have them professionally done.

This got me thinking about pictures and the ones I have with my grandparents or the pictures I have of my grandparents with my kids and my kids with my parents. One of my favorite pictures I have with my Grandpa (aka Pa-Paw), who passed away a year and a half ago, was a quick one we grabbed together just as he was getting ready to leave the last Christmas we celebrated together (see above). He was getting ready to head out the door, and I remember thinking I ought to have someone take that picture with him because I don’t know how much longer he will be here with us. It turned out that was the last picture I have of just the two of us together. I am so glad I got that picture. 

My cousin had professional pictures taken, and the pictures turned out wonderfully. Not all of the pictures you have necessarily need to be done by a professional. Like I mentioned above, the last one I have with my grandpa was taken with my iPhone by someone in my family.

Take pictures.

I just want to encourage you to take those pictures. Oftentimes we get in a rush, often overwhelmed by all the things we need to get done, and we don’t stop to take that picture. I doubt there are many people that regret stopping for a moment to take a picture, but I am guessing there are a lot of regrets of not having that picture of yourself with your loved one after they are gone. Especially in this day and age with cameras on our smartphones, there really is no excuse to not grab that picture. 

Share pictures.

I want to encourage you, though, to not just keep those special pictures to yourself. If your loved one is still alive, share it with him or her.  My cousin will be sharing her pictures with my grandma.

Pictures are important to keep us connected.

The majority of the patients I see in the skilled nursing facilities that have pictures of loved ones in their rooms frequently point the photos out to me when I go to see them. It brings them so much joy to talk with whoever will listen about their family members. This helps to keep our loved ones connected to us when we are not able to be with them. Staying connected with loved ones is very important in maintaining one’s emotional and cognitive welfare. 

I am sure there are several similar products that exist, but one I wanted to highlight is called Nixplay (I have no financial relationship with Nixplay). It is a digital picture frame that can be updated remotely through an app on your phone. This frame can be in your loved one’s home, and you can frequently update the digital photos in the frame to allow your loved one to continue to stay connected with friends and family members.

Make and relive memories often.

In regards to keeping connected with your aging loved one, nothing can beat face to face visits, however, photos of you and your family with your loved ones are certainly helpful in boosting your loved one’s mood, especially if they are living alone. So go ahead and take that picture. It is something your loved one will cherish while he or she is here and one you will undoubtedly be thankful for once your loved one has passed away. 

Have you experienced the importance of pictures? Share your experience in the comments section.

© 2021 Jessica Kluetz, DO