vintage cameras

Yesterday, my little vintage camera collection grew by two.  I received a care package from my parents, full of goodies.  These two beauties were rolled up, safely, inside.  

The Bosley was my grandfather's.  The Kodak was my great grandfather's.  I can only imagine the places these cameras have been and the pictures they have taken.  They captured moments in my family's history, they celebrated birthdays and holidays in the hands of two great men, they recorded vacations and good times, they provided us with images to look back on with love and with great pride.  They help us to remember times passed. 

It has been almost a year since my grandpa entered heavens' pearly white gates, was reunited with loved ones (many of whom I only know through photos that these cameras have taken), and met our Savior, face to face.

  

This Christmas, we will rejoice in the fact that my grandpa is celebrating his first Christmas in the presence of our Savior - the very reason we celebrate this holiday season.  He will be singing "Joy to the World" with the herald angels!  He will be rejoicing with the heavenly host; the same heavenly host that appeared to the shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night, praising God and announcing the birth of Jesus Christ!

What a celebration Christmas, in heaven, must be!

As much as my grandpa loved and cherished his family, and we him, I'm pretty sure he's having the best Christmas ever.

Despite missing him dearly, his heavenly presence overwhelms my heart with joy.

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  Luke 2:13-14

I'm honored to have these bits of family history in my home, displayed proudly on a shelf.  They belonged to two very special men - one that I can't wait to meet, and one that I can't wait to see again.  The pictures that these cameras took, introduce me to family life before I was born.  I never got to meet my great grandpa, but because of photographs taken with his Kodak, I can say I know what he looks like.  And I think that's pretty special.

Because of pictures, I'll never forget how rare it was to get a photo of my grandpa with his mouth closed, I'll never forget his bright, blue eyes...these pictures cue the sound of his laughter, his smell, his fierce, love-filled hugs, the sound of candy being stirred in the crystal candy dish by his strong hand grabbing a fistful of m&m's...

I'm so thankful for the memories that pictures evoke.

These cameras are something special.