Do you remember picture day? Finding the perfect outfit, hoping that your hair will be just right, dreading any oncoming zits appearing on the tip of your nose. In the 80's there was no such thing as "make up day" for pictures, so what the photographer captured is what stayed in scrapbook history. I remember my eighth grade picture day and for some reason there was no vehicle for my mom to take me to school so I was forced to walk. I lived about one mile from school and we walked to and from school quite often, but how could this be happening to me on picture day. I was just beginning to use make-up and I had spent quite a bit of time "feathering" my hair and plastering it with V05 hair spray. However on my way to school, it started sprinkling rain and my locks were beginning to lose their 80's big hair look, and of course I wasn't wearing waterproof mascara. So as I entered the hallways of junior high, I wasn't quite as beautiful as I wanted to be. I rushed into the girl's bathroom where my friends were fussing over themselves in the mirror and I borrowed eye shadow and a brush to repair the damage. Lisa only had purple eye shadow for me to use which didn't enhance my brown eyes. Needless to say, my 8th grade picture isn't my favorite, but it has the best memories.
Now it is so fun to relive picture day with my children each school year. I have to make sure not to give Zac too short of a before school hair cut, Mason usually wears a nice button down shirt, Tyler surprises us each year with his "turtle" smile where he shows no teeth, Annie flashes her gorgeous smile as always, and then there is Ellie.
My daughter Ellie is physically and mentally disabled and taking her picture is quite a challenge. She will not respond to her name being called and she likes to keep her head turned down and tilted to the side most of the time. On a few occasions I have been able to snap a beautiful picture when a small miracle happens and she looks straight at the camera and all I see is her big beautiful eyes and curly brown hair. I pray for a patient school photographer who will help to get a good school photo. I make the teacher call me when it is Ellie's turn to go down to the gym and I rush to the school to help. Thank heavens for digital cameras, because yesterday we took over 30 pictures of Ellie to try to get the perfect one. After twenty-five minutes I finally was able to choose one that was nice. It is my hope that when the year book comes out, the high school kids will be able to see her tenderness and beauty in the photo and not her disability.
