Camera Shy
It's no secret to those who loved my mother that she hated having her picture taken. Home movies reveal her ducking behind people or covering her face with her hands. Of course her role as mom deemed her the designated photographer of the family, so fewer opportunities presented themselves for her to be photographed. So when my cousin discovered this photo of Mom while going through my aunt's belongings, I was floored to see her actually hamming it up for the camera. The pose is so out of character for her, but she was on a trip to Israel, unencumbered by children and her typical responsibilities for them, so I guess her inhibitions were also on hiatus. I treasure this photo because it truly reflects her personality. I suppose most of us are naturally inclined to be critical of our appearances more so than others are of us. We scrutinize images of ourselves for signs of aging, fatigue, weight gain. Our lens is warped by our own expectations of how we wish we looked rather than...
