Looking Closer

Closer Look - One Small Child
Closer Look - One Small Child

I was going through the photos on my camera card the other day and ran across a large (LARGE)  number of images I did not shoot. 9-year-old Jessa has been sneaking Mom’s camera and snapping close-ups featuring various in-and-out-of-focus flowers, clocks, wall-art, her brother, the cat, power poles, trampolines and sunsets.

My first impulse was: Sigh…There are a lot of pictures of nothing here…I don’t really have time to slog through them all…Where am I going to store them?…How many should I keep?

And then I looked closer.

Sure, there were a lot of throw-aways. But there were some amazing photographs in the bunch. (The image above is unedited: straight-out-of-the-camera.) They told me something about the world she sees through her eyes, the details that catch her attention, the natural artistic talent she possesses. And my feelings changed from mild exasperation to profound gratitude for the glimpse I gained into her, and for the opportunity to be part of her life.

The experience reminded me of something I truly believe: there is joy to be found in everything around us. Sometimes a closer look is all you need to see it.

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