Above are my fraternal grandparents. The left photo is from my grandmother’s college graduation; the one on the right is from their wedding. My grandmother passed away five years ago, my grandfather over thirty years ago and I never knew him.

I keep these photos on the bulletin board above my desk and see them every day. I love the sepia tint of the photos, the expression on their faces, the way the photos are worn, no longer crisp. I love seeing them when they were my age and seeing them together.

When I look at them it makes me feel both happy and sad. (Even now, in writing this, my eyes are filled with tears.) Yet I love that they are immortalized in this photo, and always here in me, and now–through these pictures–with you.