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Words and Pictures

June 30, 2019 By Christine Field

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I was getting into my car after court the other day and I was asking myself, “What is really important in my life?”

My first answer was my family and love and faith and relative good health and friends. Those are the intangible things.

I looked at fancy cars and reflected on the lawyers in their fancy suits that I had just left and it was crystal clear in my heart and mind that, while I love my job and I love my life, those were not the most important things in my life.

The things that really matter are words and pictures.

 

words and pictures

 

 

That’s all that has ever really mattered.

 

Pictures

I grew up pretty poor but with great optimism and faith in education to make a better life for myself.

Books, reading and education were stressed in our home. The occasion of getting a library card was a reason for celebration!

As a young girl, going to the library was my delight. I would check out armfuls of picture books, sometimes returning every other day for more during the summer months. They were devoured and savored and opened my mind to the wonderful world around me.

My memories are mostly in pictures. Settings from childhood, pictures from young adulthood are how those years remain in my brain.

The physical pictures stashed in my closet cause memories to flood back. I have digital drives filled with memories.

Raising children was a picture-taking frenzy. The decades of child-rearing are meticulously chronicled and will be cherished forever.

 

Words

In the beginning was the Word, the Bible says.

For me, the beginning of my intellectual and spiritual life was the discovery of words.

I devoured them.

Reading my library books, studying every book available at my house.

My seven siblings has these wonderful things called text books from high school and college. When they weren’t studying, I would pour over them and marvel at the wisdom they contained.

At an early age, I discovered I could write!

My inspiration came from my father. An Irish immigrant who worked as a janitor, he wrote stories of his native Ireland and life in America. They were charming and made me see the life of the mind put down on paper to share with others.

As a very young girl, I tried my hand at writing stories. I had the audacity to send them to The New Yorker and The Atlantic. One kind editor sent me a letter suggesting that I live a little more life before I tried to write about it.

I took that advice. And, oh, the life I have lived.

That life led to creating words. Articles, books, ebooks, speeches, columns. The words have poured out of me.

 

When I am old(er) and gray (when I decide stop dyeing my hair. Ha!) I will reflect not on the houses I lived in or the cars I drove. It has always been the words and pictures, and will always be so.

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: pictures and memories, significance of words, words and picture

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Denyse Whelan

    July 3, 2019 at 1:05 am

    I like to think pictures are part of my wonderful memories. They are in my head, on my phone and in far too many photo albums…As we age, we see less of our family who are grown up, live in the city and away from us so looking back brings warmth.

    Thanks for sharing

    Denyse #mlstl

  2. Savoring Sixty

    July 3, 2019 at 6:37 am

    “It will always be the words and pictures,” I love this phrase! Enjoyed your post. Visiting from Midlife Share the Love.

  3. Christie Hawkes

    July 3, 2019 at 6:55 am

    Beautiful, Christine. I also love words and pictures, and I realize now that it started very young for me as well. Life is full of beauty and suffering. I marvel at those who are able to capture both in a way that speaks to your heart and mind. Thanks for linking up at #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty. I will share on social media.

  4. Leanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au

    July 3, 2019 at 7:18 am

    I loved this – probably because words and pictures, family and faith are really important to me too. I’m not sure what I’d do without my local (and online) library and the joy they bring me. We’re off to visit the family in a few days and hopefully there’ll be a picture or two to look back on as well.
    Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 🙂

  5. Dee | Grammy's Grid

    July 4, 2019 at 4:12 pm

    Thanks for linking up at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty 39!

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Hi, I’m Christine

Have you been a wholehearted mother, but time, toddlers and teenagers have moved on? If you are wondering what comes next for you, you’ll feel right at home here.

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After a couple decades of writing books and articles about parenting, homeschooling and adoption, speaking to homeschoolers and other parent groups, and reaching out to the mom in the trenches who was trying to make the best of it - my kids grew up. Some grew up and grew away. I was determined to find a way out of the pain, emptiness and lack of direction.

For many of us, the journey starts with something we moms are not accustomed to. After years of caring for and serving others, sometimes we forget the beauty and wonder of US. We need to spend some time getting to know the parts of ourselves that have lain dormant, and take the time to explore interests and passions that we set aside.

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About Christine

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At Real Mom Life, my passion is to provide resources and reassurances for moms facing the surprising challenges of family life. In my writing and speaking, I explore solutions to unexpected issues in adoption, homeschooling, special needs, and more while encouraging moms to extract the maximum joy out of each day. Read More…

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