Dear High School Yearbook Photo

There was a commercial during Super Bowl LI when the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 on Sunday, February 5, 2017. This was the first time a Super Bowl had gone into overtime.

One of the commercials that caught my attention was Honda's ad where it brought celebrities' yearbook photos to life. Popular celebrities gave some words of wisdom as their photos began to talk.

I was inspired to make my own high school and college yearbook pictures come alive because I wanted to hear what the photos had to say to me decades later.

My high school yearbook photo tells me that I was focused and intentional. My eyes indicate that I am in the world but not of the world because I have never been one to follow the crowds. The slight smirk indicates that I saw what others were doing, but I refused to jump on the bandwagon just because everybody else was doing it.

By the time I graduated from college, many things had changed, including my looks. However, I still looked at the world with those piercing eyes. They saw the world a little differently from my high school days. Still, I questioned if everything was right with the world.

The little smirk is recognizable on both senior photos. It is interesting my eyes are wide open, but my mouth is completely closed. I take that to mean that I have always been more of a watcher than a talker. When I do talk, surely I have something important to say.

What was behind the eyes and the smirk then is the same thing that is behind them today. They are saying that I know something that no one else knows. I know me.

I knew who I was then and I know who I am today. My wish has always been that people would get to know me and to understand me instead of judging me without knowing the depths of my heart.

The eyes and the slight smile say, "I want to be known and understood."

Actually, it's an invitation for people to accept me and to love me just as God created me to be!

What would your high school and graduation say about you? What would a recent photo say about you?

Have fun looking at the photos and identify what you see in your own face. Focus on the eyes and mouth and notice what you see.