Lessons from Elderly Saints

My grandma opens her pink cardboard box as she sits next to me on the couch, the soft glow of a lamp illuminating the room. One by one, she pulls out moments from her past frozen in time by Polaroid and other vintage cameras.

In one photo, two teenage girls smile on a small rug that lies just inside the home’s front door. On the left is Grandma. She wears a white blouse and shoes and a plaid skirt with a thin belt. Kathy wears cat-eye glasses, black shoes, and a light-colored dress that has a small flower on the left chest. They both stand with their hands at their sides, and their eyes glance at someone to the left of the camera.

Crissa Esse is a senior at Cedarville University, where she is studying writing and editing.