The Emotional Side of This Project

This project has become so much more than a thesis project. It is a part of my life, a gift to my dad, to my family. In all modesty I don't pretend that this is a work of art. It a Wordpress site filled with images, audio, and written stories that capture my family. To people who view it, it may be just that. For me it is so much more. It is a preservation of history and memory in the making. It captures the child my father was and the man he is. It is a tangible symbol of the bond he and I share. It is a tribute to my mother and my siblings. It is a reflection on family and childhood. It is happiness and it is sadness. I laughed out loud as I worked and I cried more times than I'd like to admit. I cried for my father and his advancing age. I cried thinking about how we have more years behind us than we do ahead of us. I cried for my mom. The ache of missing her that I feel inside of me every day was so strong as I wrote and found pictures of her and of us. I cried for the loss of carefree childhood days that can't be captured again and for the wedges that have developed between some of my siblings and myself. I cried because I long for my family...that's all I really ever want. I hope that this project means something to them. I hope it reminds them of who we are. I hope it gives them some happiness.