Over the years Marilyn visited her uncle many times in New York, on her way to Israel and back home, on her way to Europe and back home again. He'd tell her stories of her Mother, how she loved to travel, how she loved life…how her Mother and she shared the same effervescent personality.
Over the years Marilyn and her uncle argued, they debated, they telephoned, they emailed and wrote long letters to each other. She taught him about computers and digital cameras. He taught her about life. They loved each other.
"Uncle Jerry, let's get a picture of us together before we go into the theater." He came over and she held her camera out in front.
"How can you take a picture of the two of us by yourself?" asked her uncle.
"Just like this!" and she showed him the picture in the LCD screen of the camera.
It was their last photo together.
Re-edited per suggestions from J. Ohler, 10/4/08
I can hear your voice when I read your story and your story makes me reflect on the importance of family in our lives. Even though your uncle was distant, the connection was close. As I read your story, I sensed the closeness and fun you experienced when you decided to use your camera to take a self-portrait picture. When I read the last sentence I felt surprise and sadness. Having a digital camera all the time is part of life now and sometimes, the results are historic.
ReplyDelete