Dear Photograph: Old Memories in a New Time

Coping with Grief / Coping with Grief : Eleanor Haley



For further articles on these topics:


dear photograph example

This post is inspired by 'Dear Photograph', "where people take pictures of pictures, from the past, in the present"; where the romance of our memories meets the reality of the present; and where our loved ones may exist in a world that has gone on without them. Here at 'What's Your Grief,' we believe in using photography and other creative outlets to deal with your grief and to feel close to those who have died. This project helped me on a bad day, you should give it a try too.


Guys, being a grown-up is hard. Seriously. Bills, children, accountability, employment, unemployment, relationships, political affiliations, midlife crises, health problems, existential panic, Princess Grace, Peyton Place, trouble in the Suez... We didn't start the fire... it was always burning since the worlds been turning.

I've already gotten off track... but while we're on the subject of 80s Pop, let me brag about the time my older sister and I memorized the lyrics to both 'We Didn't Start the Fire' and 'Killer Queen' in one afternoon WITHOUT the help of the internet.

When life gets hard, I long for afternoons like these, when I could spend two guilt-free hours memorizing the lyrics to some stupid pop song just for the fun of it. Or Friday nights watching my favorite TV shows in real time because there was no such thing as DVR. Or evenings spent at home anxiously waiting for the boy I like to call because LORD KNOWS if he calls while I'm out my mother will forget to give me the message.

These were innocent, easy times when other people made my decisions for me, my consequences were small, my responsibilities were laughable, and my world extended no further than a few miles past my front door. I know these days are gone, but boy do I ever long for them when times get tough. Sadly, so far as I know, time travel has not been invented, although I did read that scientists were looking for time travelers on Facebook and Twitter (so if you see something, say something).

I guess most of all I long for my mother. She was the only person on Earth who, no matter my age or issue, could make me feel like everything was going to be okay. I long to pick up the phone and hear her voice. I long for the feeling of comfort and security she allowed me to feel.

Those who have lost someone important know the death of a loved one changes life's landscape forever. The people we've lost are like missing pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, without them the picture can never be whole again. We can try to recreate the scene, but there are elements of life before loss that can never be recaptured. Things have changed, we've changed.

dear photograph example 2

When I've been away from a special place for a long time, I'm always a little bit nervous to return. My mind has a tendency to romanticize places and I know I will find it much smaller, shabbier, and more unimpressive than I remember. I'm sure I've done the same with memories of my younger years and the people in them.

dear photograph example 3
dear photograph example 5

We are never so kind as we are to people, places, and things that are gone; which I suppose is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I always have a safe haven to return to when life gets overwhelming (albeit in my mind). On the other, no embrace will ever measure up to one that was given by someone who is forever gone. It's not fair, measuring the past against the present. They can never be reconciled, the 'now' can never win. I look at a photograph and I see me and my parents smiling on my graduation day and I think, "Ah yes, they were proud of me, I was happy." I don't recall whatever worries were bothering me on that day. Whatever barren, winter landscape was hiding behind our smiles, is now forever melted by the warmth of my memory.

We have some great posts coming up in the next few weeks. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss a thing.

We wrote a book!

After writing online articles for What’s Your Grief
for over a decade, we finally wrote a tangible,
real-life book!

After writing online articles for What’s Your Grief for over a decade, we finally wrote a tangible, real-life book!

What’s Your Grief? Lists to Help you Through Any Loss is for people experiencing any type of loss. This book discusses some of the most common grief experiences and breaks down psychological concepts to help you understand your thoughts and emotions. It also shares useful coping tools, and helps the reader reflect on their unique relationship with grief and loss.

You can find What’s Your Grief? Lists to Help you Through Any Loss wherever you buy books:

Let’s be grief friends.

We post a new article to What’s Your Grief about once a week. Subscribe to stay up to date on all our posts.

Related Blog Posts

Related Blog Posts

See More

9 Comments on "Dear Photograph: Old Memories in a New Time"

Click here to leave a Comment
  1. Mindy L Rogers  March 21, 2021 at 12:57 pm Reply

    I found comfort immediately knowing that this discovery here and now is neccesary for me to contribute in gradual sequences pieces of me and my story. For today however, I have many empathetic thoughts and feelings for this Dear Photograph blog🥺
    I hope this is of no insult but i first crossed this blog by mere accidental discovery (i think!) I automatically felt some sort of Deja Vu. Between what depicts the nature of what is a literal felt sensory of me in the front lawn of my Grandmas waiting for nothing and better yet twirling around in a daze imagining the altered and desirable place anywhere else than the blocked moments undiscovered in my day dreamed future-past life that never came because it never had been lived yet.
    I am about to begin a story and it might reopen or seal the deal for even a thought of change in mind towards a new never tomorrow lived yet but to far past the netherlands of what was our time to meet in the middle that remained through the grace of God and his one and only begotten son Jesus Christ that endured every piece of ourpain so we could simply be of ALLheart to each others needs of use for healing, supporting and redirecting towards the destiny of seeking forgiveness for our falling short of his glory which I know im guiltyof 10x unfold and counting😬 this i am not proud of, but estatic that he spared my kids and me to wake up May, 25th of 2020 after what was a picture the day before suddenly shifted to a 365° angle diffetenly capturing nothing that I pictured the day before and worse, every distance traveled into memrobilia with my two toddlers is a moment shattered with pain so deep that even scars that extend beyond through the projected photo comparison that is set in stone every day since this day with messages that scream louder than the picture worth that 1000 words of what is nothing said but reversed on algorithm of 0001 to rebuilding the new norm that I drive to recapture somewhere, sometime!
    But this is all i know for now, if you have not heard, “I love you yet today”;”I LOVE YOU❣”
    Everything is going to be ok. Your precious time and my unduly patience may be in a stage of similiar yet underestimated time cycle of coping but WE ALL have something to contribute and you are here yet because no one like you has existed or will ever exist like you and this is phenomenol beauty in itself.
    Be bold, be you and never give up your dream~its yours to keep, always! You created it and therefore OWN IT! Also, CONGRATS on that. Now, just put those hard workin hands to use or that blessed way through the universe if work by hand is not an option. I am not sorry but am so sorry for the directness that awkwardly sounds rude or could be perceptionalized as a hasty uncontrolled outburst of anger from my own finger tips at a point in my life that again, though reminder still is noted, especially when cold temps get them suckers but the ONLY thing acceptable to resenate with in atleast this story i speak of is that I could and wouldrelive any abuse small or great that presented itself to me while uncoltrolled, yet tolerated circumstances by loving harder the left behind photo of a child that was NEVER backed up for the day said parents left him to fend for himself in his own reasoning on conflict of his no longer tolerated because it was never guided on measures of self-control by either parent fighting their own demons and loss of reality of “what if the possibility…” is very much one of the sadest tunes a person could have on no repeat to any said dear photograph with none existing besides 1 luckily stuffed away by an aunt that sent the image for what was soon to be my husband after an 8 year relationship of our loveliest dysfunctional compassionate always left our page blank to start in the morning for room to grow on the unknown learning curve we desired as our passions were driven by undeniable support to one another after breaking down ouf outside trials and tribulations.d that often resilted in the blame game like we held the image of whoever placed burdens on our shoulders that day. I am however confident with the fact we have had harder battles and would change the things we could no longer tolerate and tolerate the things we would never be to change. This is where my DEAR PHOTOGRAPH deciption of me taking it WAY back to the first time I practically died very young…..
    More is to come on this but my photos are no more delicate nor less than anybodies and if I can take anything from this i would love to hear you out. You could be the voice that could very well touch the audience that no other writer, speaker or coach has HELPED through your unique story contribution and courage.
    Thank you all and i hope you all learn as much as I will fromuou all.

    Blessing,

    Mindy R.

  2. Wendy Hughes  August 30, 2019 at 12:27 pm Reply

    My relationship with my partner began when we both turned 40; he died when he was 68. I can’t say we never bickered, but we both knew how lucky we were to have mutual unconditional love. I’d had two ugly marriages – and I knew what inadequacy and unlovability feels like. With him I not only felt lovable, I was bulletproof. No matter what else was not going according to plan, at work, with family, budget problems, I was ready for anything.
    When he died, that all changed. Not all at once, but gradually, over the first year, I made so many mistakes, I became fearful and indecisive. Now it’s three years since he died, and I’ve gotten used to the vulnerability. It never occurred to me in your words: The people we’ve lost are like the missing pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. I’m functioning, but without my other half, not as well. Thanks for the perspective.

    4
  3. Kathleen  February 15, 2017 at 11:07 am Reply

    Eleanor, I know this comment comes late but I hope you’ll see it. While reading this post I had an “ahhh” moment with lots of tears but also a huge sigh of relief because finally I found words that EXACTLY capture what I’m suffering the loss of and what I miss so much about my son but didn’t realize until I read your words. It’s what I’ve been searching for through all the many grief books and articles and blogs and cards and even within my own written words but haven’t found or been able to express so perfectly as you have done with your words. I’m going to copy and paste part of your post here so you can see exactly what I’m referring to . ” I guess most of all I long for my mother. She was the only person on earth who, no matter my age or issue, could make me feel like everything was going to be okay. I long to pick up the phone and hear her voice. I long for the feeling of comfort and security she allowed me to feel.” (copied from Eleanor’s post above) When my son heard my voice on the other end of his phone he knew no matter what time, age, or issue, he felt exactly as you did. The longing you feel for your mother is the longing I have to be that mother. I long to be that safe haven. I long for the unconditional trust he had in me, and yes I long to be needed in all those ways. He had friends, a fiance, he has sisters, all to whom he gave of himself and enjoyed the different persectives on life. But I was that one person who he never held back from no matter what. When he needed a morale boost, encouragement, advice, or when he needed someone to remind him that the world did not revolve around him alone and even when he wanted someone to help him laugh at himself he called his mother. I long for that mother. He was a strong, independent young man preparing himself for medical school but I was the voice and the hug where he found his comfort and security… throughout childhood, through the horrors of Iraq, through the ups and downs of his relationships and even disagreements with his sisters. I was his voice of reason, his biggest cheerleader, his soft place to land. Thank you Eleanor for sharing how much you long for your mother and for allowing me to use your words to express how much I long to be the mother I can no longer be. I long for us both. Kathleen

  4. Berry Akkermans  December 18, 2016 at 5:20 pm Reply

    What a great idea! Love it!

  5. Lauren  June 18, 2014 at 8:07 pm Reply

    Hi Eleanor. Thank you for blessing me in so many ways. Whenever I visit my parents’ house I walk many times past the table that holds a precious picture of your mom and the acorns that also remind me of her. I hold her in my heart, and when I see her I also think of you, and that is so important. I look forward to reading all that you write and I have passed your site along to friends that are grieving. Thank you, again. Don’t stop writing or capturing the memories we all hold so dear.

    • Eleanor  July 16, 2014 at 8:56 pm Reply

      Hey Lauren,

      I’m sorry I’m just now responding to this comment. Between a full time day job and the blog I often get behind on reading and responding. Thank you so much for your kind words. This is going to sound odd but it’s somewhat comforting knowing that others are thinking of my mother and missing her. I guess it’s just good to know she lives on in so many different hearts and minds. Thank you for passing along our site, I hope we’ve been able to help. I miss you guys and I really hope to see everyone again soon. It’s been too long.

      Eleanor

  6. Your Brother (Owen)  January 8, 2014 at 11:46 am Reply

    You’ve gone and done it this time – hit the nail on the head. When you lose a person you also lose whatever role they played in your life – in your case (and mine) the person who made everything seem okay – like she had some power to tip the scales toward the positve and keep them even when life was just piling on the bad. At the risk of sounding overdramatic – perhaps I already do – you also lose whatever part of yourself that that person brought out of you. Sometimes I have a dream of mom and there is a feeling of deep warmth – you know the emotional kind – that I haven’t felt since we lost her. That feeling is no longer a part of my life – its lost to me now unless I’m fooled that mom is around in a dream. My memory of it while awake feels less lucid. I love other people in life, but they all give me a unique sort of emotional responce. So there is no recapturing what someone meant to your life once their gone.

  7. denise  January 6, 2014 at 2:23 pm Reply

    When my husband passed away I made up a big poster of him from when he was young and right up until he passed away,I got a lot of comments about it.

  8. Shannon  January 6, 2014 at 2:22 pm Reply

    Eleanor,
    You are a beautiful and talented person. This blog really touched me as I have so many wonderful memories of my dad that I keep in a “safe” spot. You are a fabulous writer and photography. Keep doing what you are called to do!

    Love,
    Shannon and the Armsworthys

Leave a Comment

YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.