Visualization of time
This photo story was initially made for a class assignment.
The most tragic thing in life is seeing time go by and not realizing it. From the moment I was born, I have always had my grandma in my life. She is vividly ingrained in my most significant moments in life since she has adopted the position as a second mother to me. It was not until now that I started noticing that my grandma has aged within these past 21 years of my life and that she is no longer the same person I met when I was a baby. Within a year, she changed drastically and we still are not quite sure why. She is now much more fragile and dependent than she has ever been. She is, at times, forgetful and repetitive. She is now reliant on her crane when she walks. She is now unable to eat salt. She is now 82.
Therefore, with my photo essay project, I wanted to document the new way that I have learned to know my grandma. With this change, I have learned to be more patient and appreciate the moments we spend together. It might sound a little morbid to say, but you never know when it is your last time speaking to someone. Given that I am now one of her main caretakers, I have never spent this much time with my grandma. I now do things that I have never done before and it is all driven by the love I have for her. I now help her bathe, help her go to the bathroom, help her take her medications, help make her food, help get her dressed, sleep in her room; things I had never done before. As seen in the photos, I am not the only one that helps her out. Luckily she has two supportive daughters that are also always there for her. Consuelo has a loving family that is lucky to have her with them. There have been so many memories between all of us, and it is important to always cherish those memories.
Overall, this experience has been such an intimate experience in getting to know my grandma. Although we already had a very close relationship, it is a completely different thing when you have to take photos of someone. There is this weird energy that connects the photographer and the subject which builds a bond within one’s photos.
