Ohh, I am so happy. I have handed in all my articles and now I can rest and play while I wait for the baby to be born. Over the last few days, I honestly thought I’d never be able to relax like this. I didn’t even get (too) angry at the news that my long-awaited parcel with a bunch of Stampington magazine is delayed at customs (whyever for?) and won’t be delivered until tomorrow.

And look! I even managed to sneak in a collage. The prompt was 4×4 Friday’s families theme. It was the perfect opportunity to do something with one of the many lovely pictures of my grandmother with her sisters and their mother. I love those photos because they are a snapshot of everyday life—reading the papers, chatting, studying, sewing—and yet everyone looks so incredibly happy. You really get the feeling it was a loving, contented family.

My grandmother Nina, her sister Pia and their mother Chiarina reading the newspaper

It didn’t last of course. My great-grandmother passed away not too long after the pictures were taken, one of the sisters moved away to follow her husband, another bore a tragic loss. Which makes it all the more important for me to capture that moment of pure joy and shared love.