Storing Memory

There is a photograph from a family gathering that brings up memories every time I look at it. On the picture are my cousins and I playing dress up. It is a snap shot just taken in time but when I look at it, it reminds me of the fun we use to have and the strong bond between my youngest cousin and me. Almost every Christmas party we had, my cousin and I would dress up clothes and materials that lay around the house. Every Christmas we would change rolls, so it would be fair to both of us. One year I would be Santa and the next my cousin Lilly would be Santa. In this particular picture the three of us Lilly, Nadia (my older cousin) and I are in my aunt’s living room. I am dressed up as Santa, wearing a big red jacket, three times my size, a red hat and a white scarf. Also I have a beard I made from cotton balls and tuck neatly under my hat. I am holding a bag that contained all the Christmas presents, ready to give them to their true recipient. Lilly is smiling and as usual talking and not paying attention to what is going on around her. My older cousin stands behind me ready to take a picture with us and sit back with the mature people as she would say. She has been very serious even at a young age. Therefore, I believe my younger cousin and I formed a stronger relationship than she had with her sister.
Every Christmas we had at least one picture taken as we were dressed up. Most of them, I still have placed in a photo album I had since little kid. We used the camera to record every holiday, Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, vacations and etc. All of the pictures take would be printed in doubles. One would be placed in my album for me to keep. The copy would be given to my grandparents. My grandmother loved and still loves to put pictures of us in the frame of another picture that is hanging from the wall. On family gatherings, my dad would stand behind the camera but not preoccupied with taking pictures yet he would always catch the right moment.
I do not believe photography has played a big role in my family. When I look at this particular picture I think of what the photograph reminds me of. The photograph is a projection of my bond with my cousin. Sixteen years after the snapshot was taken we are still as close as on that picture. We grew up together as people and individuals sharing the same values, interests and desires. We still do everything together. When I look at the picture it is hard for me to imagine that one day we might separate and each one of us to go her way. If this happens, I would have only the pictures to remind me as memories of the closeness I once shared with someone. This is what the photograph reflects the memory of a certain time and space. The moments of emotion experienced early on that still evokes feeling in me when I look at the picture. With certainty, I can declare that the feelings this photograph evokes in me are the same one that evokes in my cousin Lilly. However, I am positive that if her sister looks at the picture it would be a totally different reaction to ours.
The photograph I picked it might look like a simple snap shot of children playing to a viewer. Nevertheless, it has deeper meaning for me hidden from others. It clearly reveals a beginning of closeness that would last eternally. It also takes me back in time that was careless and genuine. This photograph brings fond memories that remind me to celebrate the people I have around me in my life. We hold on to old pictures to be reminded of the things we love and do not want to lose.