You know the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” I was thinking about that recently while reviewing proofs of a family photo we had done a month or so ago. My siblings and I were planning a celebration for my Dad’s 80^th birthday when we realized that every single one of us, all three generations, would be together for the event. Clearly, we had to take advantage of the opportunity, so, on short notice, I convinced my friend, Eric Levin, a fabulous Boston-based photographer, to meet us at his Channel Center studio on a Sunday morning.

I wanted Eric to do our photo because I knew he’d make it a fun process. I also knew he’d find a way to portray us as a family but still convey our individual personalities. Plus, I knew it would be anything but a cookie-cutter experience.

I was right on all counts. Even the whiners among us — “But I don’t wanna pose for a picture,” — had a great time. (And by the way, the few whiners were adults. The kids were awesome.) We put the whole thing together with less than a week’s notice, so no one had time to fret about weight or wrinkles or to obsess about what to wear.

We had a great time, but more importantly, we seized the day. And in the weeks since the big photo shoot, I keep thinking what a blessing it was that we didn’t waste the opportunity. Two of the 17 of us in our family photo faced totally unexpected, serious but treatable, health issues within weeks of the photo shoot. Everyone is fine, but it certainly puts things in perspective.

I’ll share a copy of our finished photo in an upcoming blog. In the meantime, Carpe Diem!

— Lisa Matte, editor in chief