Take the Pictures Now: A Reminder That Time Doesn't Wait

Thirteen years ago today, I lost my grandmother. And not a day goes by that I don’t miss her.

She was warm, funny, loving… and completely camera shy. She hated having her photo taken and always waved the camera away. "Not today," she’d say. "I’m not ready. Maybe next time."

But the truth is—“next time” doesn’t always come.

Now that she’s gone, I find myself wishing more than anything that I had more photos of her. Not just for myself, but for my children and grandchildren. I want them to see her, not just hear about her. I want them to know the woman who made me feel safe, the one whose hands made the best biscuits and whose hugs could fix everything. But pictures of her are few and far between, because she never felt “photo ready.”

It breaks my heart.

Here’s the thing: we don’t take photos for today. We take them for tomorrow. For the people who will one day sit with an album on their lap or scroll through a digital gallery, looking for pieces of you.

Please—take the pictures. Don’t wait until you lose weight. Don’t wait until your hair is done. Don’t wait for the big vacation or the fancy clothes. Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment—because the imperfect ones are the real ones. The messy kitchen, the windblown hair, the laugh lines and tired eyes—those are you. And that’s what your family will want to remember.

Let them see you as you are. Because you, just as you are right now, are worthy of being remembered.

Your smile. Your presence. Your life—deserves to be documented.

So hand the camera over. Step into the frame. Say yes to being seen.

One day, those photos will be treasures.

And your loved ones will thank you for them.