The Sad Family Photo

Sometimes it is hard to anticipate exactly what will disappoint a toddler. Maybe she doesn’t like that there isn’t a truck driving next to her on the highway. Maybe he is upset that it is his mom’s birthday and not his own.

Other times, however, we know exactly when disappointment is approaching. When your toddler is sick and must miss an eagerly anticipated outing. When a friend cancels at the last minute and no longer will be joining you that afternoon. Or when relatives need to fly home after a fun vacation.

Over the long weekend, our family took a trip to Gilroy Gardens. It was so much fun to see our son eagerly waiting in line for each attraction. And we took many photos and videos to capture his excitement on the rides.

After going on our final ride of the day, a family asked my husband to snap a photo of them. I realized that we should do the same, even though our son was no longer happy. He already knew that our day at the amusement park was over.

On our walk back to the car, we saw many other families taking similar last minute group photos. Parents trying their hardest to make a child smile while sadness, disappointment and sometimes even tears were clearly present.

It’s not a family photo that I will hang in our hallway, but it is one that I’m glad we took. If nothing else it will contrast the photos we took only moments before when he was still unaware that the park was about to close for the day.

Have you taken a similar family photo?