Cameras

It's been a busy few weeks since Easter, between work and school and other obligations, I haven't felt like I've had a whole lot of "sit" time. But, about a week after Easter I realized my camera was missing. I couldn't find it anywhere. We had gone to Iowa for Easter, so after a week+ of searching, I was convinced I'd somehow lost it in the travel there or back.

Monday, my mother returned to Iowa to put flowers on my Grandmother's grave for her birthday. She also helped my Grandpa by going through some of my Grandmother's things. Tuesday was my birthday, and my Mom brought me back a little something of my Grandma's: her Polaroid camera. She brought this for me not because I'd lost my camera, but because I'd loved that little (or rather, big!) Polaroid and that's about the only camera I can remember my Grandma using.

My Grandma bought my a Polaroid camera for Christmas one year, and though I used it as much as possible, it's long since been gone or shoved in a box somewhere after multiple moves and the advance of technology.

After lunch with R. and my parents and having Mom give me the camera, I had to go to class. As I was driving I was thinking about how this old, clunky Polaroid came into my life when my camera was missing--and wasn't that just a bit of a coincidence? Hadn't my Grandma always had a way with filling whatever particular void I was feeling. The thought made me happy.

I got to class a bit early, so sat in the hall and pulled out a book to read. I realized I couldn't find my cell phone, so I was pawing through my purse, when I felt something in the zippered pouch I so rarely use.

My camera.

The moment I felt okay about losing the camera, I found it. The moment I'd felt as if my Grandma's presense was a tangible thing, the camera reappeared. It was as good a birthday present as any.