Have you ever tossed a bad photo thinking it was worthless?
Like this one?
circa 1989.
Suz, Mom and my Bro’ Mark at the Atlanta zoo.
Not a one of us is looking the correct way. And well, Mom and Mark could hardly keep their eyes open. I have that effect on people. 🙂
Does it matter? nah. We were all there. together.
Smiling and laughing.
I am so glad I never tossed this baby.
I think this was our last outing together that was photographed.
Mark passed away a few months later.
I don’t talk about his death much and I don’t talk about how heartbreaking it was to see his health decline as he suffered the effects of AIDS for over 2 years.
I DO love to talk about what a funny guy he was.
He was a clown. A silly, over the top clown.
And I treasure every single photo of him.
And I treasure every single photo of him.
The moral of this post is {and yes, I have a moral today}: treasure those photos…even the ones that look a bit horrid at first.
To me, this one is so perfect I keep it on my fridge at all times.
xoxo
Speaking of Brothers and people I adore:
Some of you know , PJ @ Seens From The Backs Of My Eyelids, whose brother, Henry, who lost everything he owned to fire on Saturday, July 24, 2011. The outpouring of help for Henry was so overwhelming, PJ would like to thank you all in a special way.
On next Wednesday evening, September 7th, she will have the computer randomly select three names from her Wednesday blogpost this week.
The first name selected will win a $100 e-certificate to Amazon.com.
The second name selected will win a $75 e-certificate to Amazon.com.
The third name selected will win a $50 e-certificate to Amazon.com.
All you have to do to enter her drawing is be a follower, leave a comment and MAKE SURE THERE IS A LINK TO YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT. Easy peasy, right?
Before the end of the day on Thursday, September 8th, PJ will contact the winners and before the end of the day on Friday, September 9th, she will have the e-certificates sent from Amazon to the winners.
PJ, did Amazon call you and tell you how much we just spent there on school books??
If you have not met PJ yet, you are missing out on a very smart, sweet and funny lady! Out of the 741 posts I have posted, this is the first time I have shared with you a
giveaway.
giveaway.
{741??? And this was my first post with a MORAL ;)}
Enjoy your hump-day my friends!
Enjoy your hump-day my friends!
Busy Bee Suz 
I think that photo is perfect:)
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Suze! Try not to pay full price for school books! Always check half.com first !
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Your heart is a gift to everyone who is lucky enough to know you. I love you.
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Oh geez, you're saying your poor brother died very young? Wow. Horrible!
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i was gonna say that it was quite unusal for you to have a moral! xoxo i love that picture of you three… it makes my heart hurt a little, but i love it just the same. who took it?love to you!
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I'm glad you did not toss the photo too. Sometimes those \”funny/candid\” shots capture the very personality of the person much better than a perfectly posed photo. A lovely treasured photo of a precious time shared. Thank you for sharing your brother with us. God bless you, Suzanne.M. Lane
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I'm so sorry for the loss of your brother…a good moral to remember indeed.
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My sister is still hanging on but I still miss what we had. What we were.Your Friend, m.
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Awwww, Suz. What a long slow decline toward death for your brother. I'm sorry. Your segue into PJ was brilliant. I'm doing mine tomorrow.The moral of your story is so true…Sending a big hug your way.
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Oh Suze, I had no idea you lost your brother. I am so sorry and I am very glad you still have pictures and happy memories of him.
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life is strange…whilst you were going through this heartbreak…I was planning my wedding…..the opposite ends of the spectrum…I'm sorry you had to know that kind of grief chicken….my hugs are even bigger for you hugshello gorgeous xxx
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Love that picture. I'm with you, I can't bring myself to ever throw out a photo, no matter how \”bad\” it is. And this is exactly why.
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Awww, we don;t realize the precious gifts of health and life until we get reminded…thank you!
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I love that photo, too, and I understand why it means so much to you. I'm so sorry for your loss, Suz. He must have been a wonderful, fun person to know and to share your childhood with. Give yourself a BIG hug from me, please! xoxoxo
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I'm so sorry for your loss of Mark. I know, first-hand, what it's like to lose someone to a cruel disease. If you were nearby, I'd give you a big bear hug.The moral of the photo is a great one, especially for the female of the species who always wants control over which photos get saved and which don't.Thank you, Suz, for helping me thank others. You're ever the peach. xoxo
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You've very well illustrated the fact that sometimes the 'bad' photos are the best of all because of the memories that come with them.
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I'm so sorry, Suz. Losing a loved one is so very difficult. Thank you for the reminder to cherish the imperfect pictures {and moments!}. I've noticed that other photographers {and even myself, though I'm sad to admit it}, can get so caught up in taking the perfect picture, that sometimes they/I miss the point.
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Love the pic! I too am amazed at pictures I hated way back only to have them resurface and think…WoW I looked pretty good!
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I love the picture and that you're using it to help someone else. I would love to hear about your brother–I have found that when I blog about difficult subjects so many people have had similar experiences and I think it just makes us feel better to connect with others who've suffered similarly.
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Pictures are priceless no matter how they turn out and PJ is a priceless friend too…so amazing!
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Hi Suz, I know how hard Mark's illness and death was to you. I didn't experience it in my immediate family –but one of my very best friends died from it… I was devastated to lose his friendship. He was the best male friend I had after my divorce.AND–one of my best friend in Texas had a daughter who died fron it also… That was a sad time for many of us. My love and prayers go with you and your family.Hugs,Betsy
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My mother-in-law paid not one cent for our wedding. That's fine, except that she totally took over the photographer, directing him and telling him what he should capture.End result? TONS of photographs of us and his family and only one of us and my own family. In that one photograph, both my mother and my brother had their eyes closed.
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Now I know why when I share my losses…you understand so well.And why you share even what you think are bad photo's. And why you make me laugh so hard.And why I'll have you for life. And mostly why I love ya:)
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I knew your brother had died because you had mentioned it before but this is the first I have heard what happened. How horribly hard to watch that decline in health and knowing that he could not get better. Here it is only two short decades later and doctors can treat that disease with much better results and add longevity to life. Praise God for the wonderful memories you shared.
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So sad when I think of you watching your brother decline. I know that is beyond hard! But thankful you have sweet pictures…even the imperfect ones…to make you smile. Hugs, my friend!
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awwww, i am glad you are talking about this, it will bring more healing for you, hon. you and he look so much alike… both beautiful.and dont worry, you WILL see him again.hugs to my lil suzie Q…
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Good reminder, thank you. The times we are not photo-perfect are so real. So sorry for your loss of your brother. He looks like such a kind person. The world lost, too.
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