A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words and This One Holds a Lifetime

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words. But this one? It holds a lifetime.

It was taken on the day my son got married. He’s in a black tux. I’m in a dress I spent weeks choosing. We’re standing in a quiet room just before the ceremony, holding each other in a way that says everything we couldn’t say out loud.

His head is pressed into my shoulder. My eyes are closed tight. One hand clutches the back of his neck, the other holds on like I’m afraid if I let go, it will all disappear.

...