By Marianne Lincoln

Most of us have those little momentos from childhood, photos of us sitting in Santa’s lap. Some wriggling, fussing, even crying as our parents stand back cooing and ogling over the experience.

But Santa isn’t just for kids. Grownups, parents and grandparents, have that same hope, joy and amusement from a little bit of time with Santa. Don’t deny yourself the opportunity if you are willing to take it. Even pets have Santa photos.

My wall has a Santa photo of my grandmother taken in 1991. She was 91 at the time. I had taken her to Zoo Lights at Point Defiance Park. I pushed her wheelchair all over the park, up and down the hills. As we reached the Aquarium, there sat Santa. My grandmother, widowed for 20 years at that point, just could not take her eyes off him. He was an attractive elderly man, with real white hair and whiskers. So, I helped her up and she sat on his lap. With twinkles in her eyes, the photographer snapped a photo. I made an enlargement and framed it for her. I got the photo back two years later, when she passed away.

Memories are worth documenting. So many times, we forget to take the picture. We are blessed by the ability to use a camera. Only the past 186 years have we had the ability to take photographs. Before that time, skilled artists documented, and sometimes skewed, portraits and events.

Go see Santa. Take your fur babies, your kids, your parents or grandparents. Take the photo, even of yourself. Don’t be shy. One day you will look back at it and be glad you did.