Every now and then, inspiration strikes and when it does, you can get the cleverest digital photo cards.  In this case, I came across a photo I had taken about fifteen years ago at my nephew’s pre-school graduation ceremony.  I remember taking pictures of him then as he looked so adorable, dressed in an oversized graduation gown T-shirt, tasseled construction paper mortarboard, and solemn facial expression. I thought how amazing it is that he’s about to graduate from college and how quickly those years have flown by.  Suddenly, I rushed to the phone to call my sister.

In our family, no happy occasion passes by without a party.  My sister was planning a really large house-and-yard party to celebrate her “baby’s” special event (not to mention the end of parental tuition contributions!).  I told her my brilliant idea, which she loved, and we put our heads together to create a memory.

First, we had invitation photo cards made, with that adorable preschool graduation photo on the front of the cards and all the party info inside.  Using that digital photo as inspiration, we took full advantage of 21 years of taking pictures of our little man as he was growing up.  We had several “gems” blown up to poster size and used all these sweet, mischievous, funny, heroic, athletic, adorable photos as party decorations.  Not only were they festive, but they also proved to be guaranteed conversation pieces.  In fact, a whole lot of us were taking pictures that day to continue the trend.

The icing on the cake, so to speak, was taking pictures for the photo cards to be sent by the graduate as thank you cards.  The digital photo features the young man, dressed in his real cap and gown and a great big grin, standing next to a blow-up of the picture used for his photo card invitations.  I bet that would make a great photo card invitation for his retirement party some day!

I love receiving photo cards of my friends and family. Really, I do. I love that more and more people are sending photo cards as the way they say Happy Holidays or as invitations and other imaginative uses. Really, I do. It’s great to see photo Christmas cards of the little ones and how they grow so much from year to year. Often times, with friends and family that you aren’t as close with, it’s the one chance you have to actually see them. Photo cards of babies are especially cute to see when they are first announced to the world or used as party invites. It’s even become standard practice to send photo thank you cards for weddings and other occasions in which gifts are given.

But as with most things, there is a line that can be crossed and my friends and family seem to be oblivious of the line, let alone the fact that they have crossed it, leaped over it, in fact! I know pets are like children to some but do I really need to see a photo card of your pet snake “Rattles” wishing me a Merry Christmas? Or a photo card with a picture of your house? Not the house you just purchased (which would make more sense) but the house that you have lived in for 20 years and I have been to 1,000 times! And if you are going to do that, at least clean up the toys on your front lawn and maybe take some time for a little power-washing on your siding to make it look a little more put together when you’re taking pictures for your photo greeting cards

Oh and please, take a good long look at your photo before you decide to send it out as photo greeting cards to hundreds of people. In fact, have someone else look at the photo card just to make sure. Some of you may recall the Seinfeld episode with the photo card Elaine sent out? I have received photo cards of children with fireplaces in the backdrop that made it look as if the child was on fire. And how about photo cards with so many people in the shot that I can’t even tell who they are. This photo was actually posted up on my fridge for a few days before I realized that the photo card was sent to us in error and we actually didn’t know anyone in the photo! One birth announcement that I received had such a strange cut-out of the baby’s photo that it appeared as if the baby was suspended in air. This may not sound that strange but it was really eerie!

In closing, don’t stop sending me your photo greeting cards, just pay attention to “the line” and try to stay on the safe side. Check back for my next installment when I talk about crossing the line with your “informative” Christmas newsletters…

So here’s my problem: if taking pictures is getting easier and easier, how come getting the right shot for my photo Christmas cards is such a trial and tribulation? If you’re saying, “Don’t I know it,” then you are probably also aware of how the challenges when taking pictures convolute over the passage of time. The scheduling alone could make you give up on taking photos. Who is available? When? Who first needs a haircut he doesn’t want and who just got a haircut she hates? If one of your teens begs, “Wait ‘til I lose another five pounds,” the other whines, “If we don’t do it now while my face is clear, I don’t want to do it at all!”

You know how it goes when taking family photos – when they are small children, the biggest challenge when taking pictures is patience, both yours and theirs. Getting more than one child at a time to face the camera and smile, without moving and without having a finger stuck in mouth or ear or nose (not necessarily their own), is enough of a miracle. Having them all come out in the photos looking like the adorable angels you know they are, rather than like the little trolls one facial twist can produce, is quite another miracle.

But then they mature and you plan your ideal photo greeting cards – a lovely fireside tableau during your collegian’s Thanksgiving homecoming. And so, just in time for your photo op, your high school teen has a freshly broken arm set in an awkward position and your littlest angel has puffy red eyes and drippy red nose. Guess what? Even if you, eventually some year, do manage to produce a photo greeting card showing “family perfection,” that’s not the family photo you will love best. Oh no, your favorite photo cards will be the ones showing sniffles and clunky casts, bad hair cuts and mischievous, gap-toothed facial expressions. Those are the real keepers!