awareness in pictures

I haven't used my real camera since 2012.  The last time I went to use it, I started by looking at the album of photographs previously taken.  I was jolted by a few taken at my niece's graduation in May, 2012.  I quickly shut the thing off and stuffed that camera in a storage bin in the minivan and never returned to it.  I know I've missed out on capturing better snapshots of the kids by relying solely on my phone, but some memories are best stuffed away in a minivan's cubby for awhile.

There's a new ridiculousness floating through the internet in the name of cancer awareness: a no make-up selfies campaign.  Perfectly healthy, happy women snap a photo of themselves sans their Cover Girl, upload it to social media and we all gain awareness of the effects of terminal illness.  It's freaking ridiculous.  Probably more ridiculous than sparkly pink reindeer in the name of awareness.

The no make-up selfies campaign did make me think about my camera that's been in hiding for years, though.  Photo comparisons of myself or other healthy women with and without make-up will not do a damn thing to make anyone more aware of the hell of cancer; so I thought I'd retrieve those memories from the minivan and share a few photos that might.

Here is my absolute favorite family photo ever taken.  This is about one year after Mr. 1inamillion's first chemo regimen.  Yes, I earned my degree with those two little ones and that sarcoma patient.  How victorious are we in this picture?!  







Here is the picture that sent my camera to its two year time-out.  This is Mr. 1inamillion four years and countless chemo treatments later with our beautiful niece Lizzi at her high school graduation.  He passed to Glory one month later. 
A thousand words and a thousand tears could never do this one justice.

Our family photo, six months later.  I'm wearing make-up, but I think you get the picture.