I had turned one and it was celebration time for the family, especially for my parents. I am their first child and that makes me feel privileged and thankful. Mine is a fat Punjabi family and we are six children in total. The eldest cousin of mine is married now and also has a baby. I'm the second youngest out of all, after my younger brother; which means all my other cousins were present during my first birthday party. I certainly don't remember anything about the fancy party my parents had organized. I wish I had some superpowers.
My beautiful birthday album has nonetheless managed to acquaint me to the wonderful memories of that day. I was wearing a white frock with a cute little teddy bear hair clip pinned on my curly hair. I can't believe my hair back then were so curly, the album has the proof. That album is not the only one that contains my childhood pictures but it definitely is the only one that has my pictures with all the important people in my life, especially my grandparents who I miss immensely. The album has captured beautiful moments. I see myself laughing, crying, smiling, staring at my cake and the gifts and being carried by several people.
I have experienced days in my life when I have felt like going back in time and meeting the little carefree girl I see in those pictures. Some pictures even have colorful stickers pasted on them. The album belongs to me and I love the display of affection and excessive pampering I see in the photographs. I miss being so relaxed and living a life devoid of any judgments. On several occasions, I flaunt my lovely album and show it to people I'm very close to. I compare those times to these times and think of how everybody has grown up, all my cousins have matured and are living their own individual lives. We still live together but we mostly meet on festive days and on birthdays. My birthday album is my treasure in ways more than one. I also go back to it when I miss my grandparents. It has photographs of them holding me, kissing my cheek, feeding me cake, and just being with and around me.
I think my album is also the reason why I love taking pictures and capturing moments. I enjoy going back to them later, going back to the moments I can't relive again, to the times that cannot be replicated.