This has been a very odd summer. And truth be told- I haven’t done much documenting or memory keeping  because life seems to have been either incredibly mundane and routine- or just a big bummer. #BummerSummer.  I think we can all relate.

But, as the weather has begun to change I realized I didn’t want a season to pass without capturing its stories- no matter how bad they may be.

I cringed when I opened my Google photos because I expected to see all of maybe 10 photos of the  our summer together. Granted, there were definitely not as many photos as past summer (I’m looking at you, Covid-19 quarantine) – I was actually surprised at the moments I did capture.

They weren’t the best pictures- and man! The house is a wreck and I think we wore the same clothes all summer long! There were about 50 photos of my little guy, Liam (13) in front of the TV on Xbox *sigh* But- there’s a story in that, isn’t there? I mean, the fact that so much of his time was spent online  – and how he stayed up late and basically lived in a virtual world this summer- that is a story to be told, isn’t it?

Same thing for all the screenshots of memes and stories- they speak so much as to where my thought have been these past few months-

There are about 200 photos in my Summer 2020 that at first glance seem like nothing. They aren’t very pretty- and Lord knows we do not look our best. In fact, we (my little family of 4) are the only ones in the photos.  No family gatherings, no vacation crowds, just us.  But, that’s a story too, isn’t it?

I’m glad I took all those “bad” pictures of “nothing- and filled on the gaps with snarky random screenshots. I’m glad I kept clicking and collecting even when I  didn’t feel like documenting.  Because time does soften the edges of the hard times- and they are a important part of the stories we live.  They show how strong we are.  They offer hope. The affirm the strong bonds that help carry us through.

Even when nothing is happening- that silence is a song in itself isn’t it?

Keep on clickin”