Baby Photo Saga!

A few days ago I mentioned my effort to declutter my office. I decided I would totally strip it bare and decamped every item (including the paper clips) up to the guest room. The only way I could do a thorough job was to sift through every piece of paper and every photo. While sorting through one of the boxes I came across a brown envelope and on it was written in my Dad’s handwriting - “Barb’s baby photo negative”. My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t believe my eyes, however my joy soon turned to disappointment as the envelope was empty. The photo of me as a baby on my christening day had been totally ruined in a massive storm one night and I had given up ever seeing a copy again. I continued to plod through the piles of photos the other night and to my great delight I stumbled across a cellophane sleeve with my baby negative in it. The entire exercise of decluttering the office had paid dividends I had never even dreamed of. I took the negative into Camera House yesterday and this is my image I’m sharing tonight, the final piece of the puzzle.

My dear Mum once shared with me that my first grade primary school teacher, Mrs Jackson, had told her I was one of the most enthusiastic pupils she had ever taught. It seems to me as I look at this photo of myself as a baby that I was born to love life and here I am at around six months old just bursting with enthusiasm for what lay ahead.

I can’t tell you in words how thrilled I am to have found the negative. It would be at least 70 years old and in perfect condition. How lucky am I.