Every time I go out to the farm, it never fails that my camera is immediately confiscated by one of the kids. They never do any harm; they simply want a go at their own version of photography. One of the girls, Levona, always ask for my camera. Sometimes I leave it in the car, just so she can’t drag it around the farm, but she knows me better than that: she usually asks if I left it in the car… And I just can’t say no to my precious farm kiddos.Something that I noticed about her photography is different though. She always wants to take pictures of the babies. She will spend about 10 minutes taking pictures, and like clockwork she will disappear for another 30 minutes. In that time, she will walk around to all the shacks and each specific mother of the child she’s photographed. It’s as simple as that: the pictures are to show the mothers. I have other girls and boys who take my camera and take pictures of themselves (Judy) or chickens (Enrico), and then there’s Levona.
How much joy does a picture bring to a mother? My mom always looks back at my baby pictures and immediately starts reminiscing. No you don’t need pictures to substitute memories, but the two go hand in hand. A beautiful picture of your baby at birth… a beautiful picture of your baby at age 5, 10, 15… a beautiful picture of your baby as they graduate from high school or college. One day, all a mother might have is a picture. Every mother takes joy in the simplicity of a picture. I take joy in the simplicity or Levona’s actions. What an unknowingly selfless act by a young girl who shouldn’t know better.
There’s just something that can’t be said in a picture. That’s why words are words and pictures are pictures. Sights can describe themselves apart from words. No words can express the true feelings a mother has for a child, no less what she sees in a picture of them. The closest we come is love.
God can move and teach in the youngest, most innocent of children. Thank you Levona for that lesson in humility.
-Kristen
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