A Picture,Tells A Story

An article in the Atlanta paper, jumped off the page. Actually, I was startled. The photo of this precious baby was looking at me. One of the captions read, family photos hold moving message.
An exhibition at Emory University's Visual Arts Gallery, show photographs that Polish Jews took with them to Auschwitz-Birkenau. These are family photos, that were grabbed and hidden from the Nazi's, and found later. The Jewish people would hide their pictures, in their shoes, undergarments, anywhere to keep the Nazi's from taking their memories. Most were destroyed, burned with the bodies of so many. The Nazi's goal was to take this group of people from history. The pictures, if left behind, would prove these people existed, Hitler was having none of that. Somehow, 2,400 were found after the camp was liberated. Yet they were hidden in a warehouse until Ann Weiss found them in 1986. Ann Weiss researched and put names to faces, and later produced a book, called "The Last Album:Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau"
This exhibit, "Testaments of the Heart" celebrates these peoples lives. Birthday Parties, weddings, family snapshots, not the usual photographs that we see from the camps.
I will be going to look, and honor these strangers lives. I can not pretend to understand their senseless deaths, but I can call them by name, and remember them.
I place photographs of, my Ward all over places, with his name on the back, and the day he was born and died. Hoping whoever picks it up, will call him by name, and honor that he was alive, and happy.
These millions of people who died at these camps, were loved and mourned, and we will not forget them.
And my Ward, we will not forget you.

What if?

I have been busy today, family coming in.
Being busy is a good thing, leaves me less time in the day, to think about the profound loss of Ward.
However, during my most hectic/manic moments, he is in my thoughts.
While "out sorceing" everything that is possible, I was in The Fancy Pantry, buying desserts for the holiday weekend. Cookies in the shapes of stars, and ice-cream cones, a key lime pie, and a red velvet cake. Freeing up my time, to watch my grand children play, worth every penny!! Worth a LOT of pennies!!! Cakes are expensive, but my time is priceless!!!! While trolling for prepared food, I grabbed some Chicken Salad, tomorrow's lunch is done.
"That will be *(#+>.* amount of money!" Honey!! I pulled out my warm credit card(this was not my first store!!) and she gasped, " What a nice looking young man!", she was looking down at Ward's sweet photo in my wallet. " That is my child, who has died, he is beautiful isn't he." Well, she nearly fell over, and grabbed my arm, and was so precious. It is never easy for someone, to know what to do. Talking about death scares people, especially over cake, pies and cookies!!! She told me she was sorry for my loss, and I told her, thank you for noticing my boy.
All the cakes in the world, could not take me away from that moment, and the reality that Ward was missing so much. Brian and Emily, Adrian and Finn will arrive probably before I finish typing, Hart is in the kitchen, eating the cookies, Emma is watching the Braves playing, it will be a busy Memorial weekend.
My heart is full, and my mind asks the "What Ifs" and I shake my head.
I wish you were here with us Ward, and somehow I think you are.