Picture Day

I have always envisioned writing a novel, with or without my brother. Writing has always been my passion. I have written several, unpublished, children's stories and have compiled some of the bedtime stories Melvin used to tell me so that I would go to sleep. 
One morning I woke at around three o clock, sat straight up and told Melvin I wanted us to take family pictures. He said, "Okay, now go back to sleep." "I'm serious, everyone has to be here," I said. "Okay, bae, now lay down." I fell back asleep. The next day I telephoned the boys and told them we were taking family pictures and no one was exempt. "Okay, Ma," was the collective answer. I solicited the photography skills of a trusted co worker, he gave me a time and wanted to use us as his test subjects for future family photo shoots.

On an early spring Saturday in 2005, we all gathered at our home and had a two hour family photo shoot. The experience was amazing and no one was missing.

The Mathews'

After we completed the shoot, we all sat around and the photographer did a Power Point slide show of the 86 photos he'd taken. We were all pleased and I knew I had my photo for the flap of my novel when it was published. In hind sight I know that the photos was not merely for a book but, for me and my children. Our happiness, as a family, captured forever. Eleven months later our patriarch would be gone.

Tomorrow