Strangers step in to help grieving man restore photo of late wife
Losing a loved one is never something anyone can be prepared for, even if you know it's coming. The finality of death no matter the mental preparation for the loss hits on a visceral level that's unexplainable to those who have yet to experience such loss. While you're doing your best to pull yourself together for final preparations, every well-meaning platitude of comfort feels like a gut punch.
But you do your best to move through the days, weeks and months without feeling like a burden to those who have designated themselves as responsible to hold your grief. It's in the quiet moments after the casseroles stop coming and the beautiful floral arrangements begin to die that you have the time to go through your rolodex of memories. Some memories are clear bringing you fits of unexpected laughter, others are fuzzy and having a picture helps to bring things back into focus.
Mathew Jacobs recently joined the club that nobody wants to join after losing his wife in January 2024. The grieving husband realizes that he doesn't have many pictures with his late wife and decides to make a plea to a photo restoration group on Facebook.
a man and a woman looking at the camera
Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash
"Lost my wife in January and as she got older and gained weight she didn't like having her picture taken. So I don't have many pictures with her. The one below is one of my favorites when we were younger. Can someone please bring out our faces and get rid of the glare. Thank you in advance," Jacobs writes in the original post.
While the internet is known to be sort of a cesspool of negativity and trolls, the opposite is often true when it comes to people rallying to help a stranger. This undercurrent of internet goodness bubbled to the surface just when Jacobs needed it. People jumped in to offer condolences while others got to work on restoring the picture. By the end of the exchange of restoration attempts, Jacobs walks away with a photo clearly depicting his wife's beautiful features.
"An adorable couple! Not liking pictures of myself due to my weight issues throughout life was a true struggle. I love your unconditional love for this beautiful lady and I am sure you made her feel beautiful every day," one person shares.
"So very sorry for your loss. And I’m very glad to see that folks in this group Definitely got the job done. There are some incredible edits above. She was beautiful by the way," another says in the group.
flat lay photography of mirrorless camera
Photo by Ignat Kushanrev on Unsplash
"So sorry for your loss. Let this be a lesson to anyone who hides away from the camera. One day photographs may be all we have left behind for our loved ones," one commenter reminds others.
Jacobs is overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers, saying, "after a 191 comments I don't know if anyone will see this but I really want to thank everyone for all the love. Anyone that loses someone this close to them and says they are OK is lying, and it is hard not to lose faith in the world. Things like this and the love expressed by everyone helps to remind me that the world is not a terrible place and there is love out there still."