Family and Photos

I finally finished restoring the photo for the elderly gentleman in the group home. The original picture, a tiny 2" x 3" black and white photo was very badly damaged and stained. What I saw in that small photo was a loving family enjoying a warm day in a typical backyard. The parents are grouped close, facing each other with the little boy in the middle being held by his father. The toddler has such an engaging smile while being embraced by his parents. There is the cat caught up in this family moment, patiently being hugged by the little boy. I restored and enlarged this picture to an 8 x 10 and made it in sepia tones. We framed it and gave it to him as a Christmas gift.
When we first found the picture I was real motivated to restore the picture. I thought the gentleman would have a nice picture to remember his parents by but when I first showed him the tiny picture I was surprised that he did not have any idea who the people were in the picture. Even after telling him who they are and pointing out each person, all he said was that’s nice. The photo had no memory for him, no relevance for him. I started to wonder why I should bother to fix it up but since I started I decided to see it to the end. I guess I was looking for some big emotional payoff where he would see a special moment in his family life and have that connection with his parents and when it didn’t happen I was a bit disappointed.
I had to look at it differently. How do my memories work when I look through old photos? That was the point. I have lots of references; I have lots of family to tell me the stories behind the pictures even if I don’t remember. I can add their memories to my own and have that connection to each photo. The gentleman remembers his mom not that young woman in the photo but as the tiny bent old lady whose creased face would smile up at him from her bed in the nursing home. He recognizes photos of this mother. His dad had passed away long ago and we have only this one picture of him. It is sad that there are so few family pictures that he can reflect on and no close relatives to remember with. There is no thread that connects him from his youth through to adult years.
I can show him that one photo and he can see he did have a devoted family, that he was loved and well cared for. We can talk about what he remembers, helping him keep that precious family connection with his memories. He will have that tiny thread that links him with his past.