The Picture of the Mind

And now, with gleams of half-extinguished thought, With many recognitions dim and faint, And somewhat of a sad perplexity, The picture of the mind revives again. – William Wordsworth

Ever since I read this poem with a long title (Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798) in a much-loved English class, it stuck with me. “The picture of the mind revives again: While here I stand, not only with the sense Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts That in this moment there is life and food For future years.”

Wordsworth spoke of landscapes that left lasting impressions, providing joy not only in that moment, but, even more importantly, for times later “in hours of weariness,” as he reflected on them. Sharing these moments with another, in this poem, his sister, “allowed for healing thoughts Of tender joy,” even more beautiful in their remembrance because of their shared experience.

What does this poor attempt at a literature lesson have to do with my father-in-law? He was a constant, loving presence in our lives. He was a photographer who captured photos of a life well lived in every sense that mattered most – family vacations and their hijinks; holidays and their traditions; beautiful, inspiring scenery; moments of celebration and moments of everyday love.

Borrowing again from Wordsworth, decades of photos revive in the mind the countless experiences that we are so blessed to have shared. Every snapshot recalls a memory that lives on and these memories sustain us, especially in our hours of weariness. There are few gifts more precious than this.

While he was often the one behind the camera, this is a favorite photo with him as the subject. It is how I love to remember him – with his grandson, on the water – and I recall his gentleness, his patience, and the love he so freely gave.