Visiting home is always nice, especially when it’s to celebrate the anticipated arrival of a newborn. My family in Miami recently all got together to celebrate with my stepbrother as he and his girlfriend are expecting a baby girl next month.
It was nice to be back home and to see the city that I haven’t seen in almost a year.
This was one of the very few times that almost all my family was together, and my sisters and I stayed at my mom’s house, something that hasn’t happened in quite some time. We all grew up together sharing rooms until one of us couldn’t stand sharing the space. We cleaned out drawers and went through old closets to see what was left behind when we moved.
As we took a walk down memory lane, we found old photos from our childhood and photos from my mom’s childhood. It is quite jarring to see the weight a photo has, especially if there are photos of people who are no longer here. We also found birthday cards that were signed by our loved ones and that included loved ones that we’ve lost.
The number of photos that we found all gave us flashbacks of moments from our childhood. As we looked back on everything we couldn’t help but notice how much we’ve changed over time.
Seeing these photos allowed us to reflect on the life that we have lived so far. We got to see so many different experiences that we had, some that we remembered and some that we didn’t because we were too young. This tangible link allows us to connect back to different parts in a time that once was.
My family used to make photo albums for every birthday and celebration and so much has been documented from my childhood. Lately my family will do more digital albums or do a coffee table book that is filled with photos from a trip.
As I was looking through different closets, I found photo albums from my mom’s childhood and from the life that she had before she became a mother. I got to see her and her friends being young in Miami and having fun. I got to see the similarities between her features and the features of myself and my sisters.
Seeing these photos reminded me of my grandfather as he was a photographer and always photographed the family. There are times where I see a lot of similarities between me and him and sometimes, I wonder to myself if I have taken on his role in the family. I always have my camera with me, and I love to take photos of family trips and different experiences that I have.
Although I didn’t get the chance to meet my grandfather before he passed, there is still a bittersweet aspect of nostalgia that is connected to him. Viewing these photos reminded me of the importance of life and what it means to cherish the present.
It almost invoked an awareness in me that there is an appreciation for the moments that were captured. It always reminds me that I should continue to highlight the moments in my life that are worthy of being documented and to always have my camera on hand.
Each image tells a story and even though we may not think of it at that moment, when we look back on those photos, we realize that there are moments captured that are aspects of one’s life. It makes sense why I would choose journalism as my career feels as I love to capture moments in history whether that is through a photograph or an article.
In this issue, we look at the third places in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, spaces that help people relax, talk and build a sense of community. We highlight BookBurn Cafe and Social, Vertical Ventures, Stardust Video & Coffee, Felicitous Coffee & Tea House and more.
In Tampa Bay news, Cocktail prepares to hold a fundraiser benefiting St Pete Pride after this year’s fundraising shortfall. In Central Florida, Richard Kowalczyk, a former owner of Southern Nights Orlando and Tampa, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. We also look at the race for Orange County mayor.
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