Poppy Pt 1
Photo by :Alex Boone
This photo means everything to me and my family. He’s the only one left of our grandparents, and in the last year, we’ve watched him face the challenges that come with aging: the slow fading of memory, the surrender of independence. Giving up driving was especially hard for him. He’s since moved in with my parents, who both still work and have taken on the toll and tenderness of caring for him every day.
It’s difficult to see the mind decline. He can’t remember things told to him hours, sometimes even minutes ago. But ask him about a story from 15, 30, or even 50 years ago, and he recalls it with perfect clarity, as if it happened yesterday.
I took this one Sunday morning while visiting my parents with my kids. Every day, he sits at the kitchen table with his “cup of mud,” working through crossword puzzles to keep his mind sharp. This moment wasn’t captured with my professional camera, just my iPhone, but it holds more meaning than any staged portrait ever could. For me, this will forever be the photograph I cherish: a quiet portrait of resilience, memory, and love across generations.
Love you Poppy.
