Granna's Picture Books

Seem so simple, trivial, these books but aren't. Firstly, humans are picture people. Always been so. Young minds forming memory, cognition. Before kids can read, they can conceive images. Just not speech or actual words yet. Feelings, however, do register. And mirrors do stump babies for a while. Ever notice? Toddlers do show some preferences in time. So Granna, ever the observer, was clever in making up still photo books for each grand. Thoughtfully captioning each picture for later on. The books are child size, four by six inches with clear plastic sleeves for about two dozen photos. At bedtime, new parents will patiently sit and read these books to groggy children fighting sleep. They look and turn pages as parents talk away. Seeing themselves in photos, they jump. Point. Giggle. Seeing cousins, uncles, aunts and far away friends is all important in developing little egos. Not able to read a single word, they "pretend read", mumbling. Mimicking. Memorizing images, refeeling the feelings. Soon the grands will request the books. Going over them again and again. Remembering fun days, becoming part of the tribe. Once Granna and Granda are gone, only in the books they'll live on. Reciting captions, sharing times, places, passed faces, always carrying the feelings, the indelible conceptions. Sometimes it elevates to look so very close in. Gently falling back into moments when dust has been whisked away by time.