These Wholesome, Hilarious Photos Define Family Life
Families can be complicated, and no two family units have quite the same dynamic. That said, there are plenty of things about family life that are basically universal - and during the good times, the special moments with loved ones help to form some of our best memories.
Redditors shared these photos, which capture family life in all of its tender, silly, memorable glory.
"My husband caught the moment when I remembered that my dress has pockets"
We've heard it asked, time and time again, why more women's clothes - such as dresses - don't have pockets.
Well, some dresses do in fact have pockets - and this woman, who recently discovered this handy feature, is clearly overjoyed.
"My grandma ordered the 'small' stromboli - never a dull moment!"
You often can judge the quality of an Italian restaurant by how egregiously gigantic its stromboli and panzerotti servings are.
This stromboli is about twice as big as this woman's head, so it seems like a safe bet that this is a great place to eat.
"My wife says our dog and I look the same while napping"
Is it a compliment or an insult to be told that you look just like a dog? Maybe it's neither one, but simply a straightforward observation.
With the photo as evidence, it's pretty easy to see the resemblance.
"Just donated my kidney to my dad"
It's daunting and scary to contemplate the prospect of undergoing surgery, losing a major organ, and undergoing the recovery process.
But when that organ is going to one of the most important people in your life, it becomes a slightly easier decision.
"My wife loves to take a nap whenever possible. Her mom and grandma came to town to visit and now I can see where she gets it from!"
Some people are more predisposed to naps than others. This trait isn't often thought of something that has to do with genetics, but this photo would suggest otherwise.
There's something adorable about the idea of this family getting together at long last, all to have a good snooze on the same big couch.
"My wife is trying to sleep in on a Saturday morning"
When a cat decides it's time to eat, human schedules - especially human sleep schedules - cease to matter.
In this case, not one but two cats have decided it's mealtime. This woman is doing her best to ignore it and get some shut-eye, but they're not making it easy.
"Matching sweater boys! I made my husband and my cat matching argyle sweater vests"
Matching outfits can be a divisive topic, with some people seeing them as tacky while others appreciate the synchronicity.
Are these outfits tacky? Well, maybe on a certain level they are - but in the realm of matching human-and-cat outfits, these two absolutely nailed it.
"My daughter's first word was the dog's name"
It's an old cliché that babies will say "mama" or "dada" as their first word, recognizing the people who are most important in their life.
This is kind of a variation on that. It's downright touching that this little baby has been thinking about the family pet long before she was able to form words.
"After beating cancer and having back surgery, my mom is finally able to go on roller coasters again pain-free"
The anxiety of a cancer diagnosis can feel like a roller coaster ride at times, and this woman decided to go to a theme park after finally beating cancer.
Even though this is just a snapshot of part of the ride, you can almost feel the joy (and relief) in her expression.
"Just my mom and aunt doing family things in Wales"
This photo is a bit like a mad libs come to life: take a couple of apparently zany sisters, add an unexplained t-rex costume, and place them in a castle courtyard in Wales.
Do I have questions? Yes. Will they be answered? It doesn't seem likely.
"Father-in-law just sent me this from Vegas, mother-in-law told him, 'We loved The Fast and the Furious'"
Many celebrities understandably grow tired of fans recognizing them and hounding them for photos - but they must appreciate the rare sub-genre of fans who recognizes them as a completely different celebrity.
Nic Cage wasn't in The Fast and the Furious or any of its sequels, but somehow this guy made that connection.
"My in-laws won a trip to Iceland. I'm watching their son - this is the first status update we sent them."
In our modern era of instant communication, where we can snap and send photos at a second's notice, photos like this are practically mandatory.
Anytime somebody entrusts you with something important, the best course of action is to actually take care of things - but send photos that indicate you might not be.
"6:04 am, my wife didn't wake up to feed her (we've had an automatic feeder for 6 months now)"
This is either a case of old habits dying hard, with the cat not recognizing the significance of the automatic feeder, or the cat simply wanting that human touch.
In any event, it becomes pretty hard to ignore when a cat comes into bed and essentially tries to suffocate its human.
"My 91-year-old grandpa asked to switch hats for a photo...'so I can be cool like you!'"
The best photos are the impromptu ones that come with a bit of a wrinkle - where even if they're posed, they communicate something unexpected that happened at the time of the snapshot.
This is a perfect example, and years from now, this fun photo will be a lovely way to remember grandpa.
"We caught my girlfriend's niece doing this at the mall"
A lot of people are understandably unsettled, or straight-up terrified, by mannequins. After all, mannequins have a human form but are weirdly smooth and shiny, and often have no heads.
Some toddlers fear mannequins, but this little girl evidently wants to join the mannequins and start a new life with them.
"My great grandma on her 98th birthday"
The backstory here is that this grandma loves to save coins and small bills in her piggy bank - so for her birthday, her family gave her some crisp bills to put in the bank.
Outside of this context, it's the unbridled joy on her face that makes this photo so heart-warming.
"When your Japanese father-in-law gets adopted by your Peruvian familia"
It's a cliché that in-laws can be difficult to deal with, but that isn't always the case. In fact, in some cases, in-law families will essentially blend in together.
Heck, these folks don't even need the couple that brought them together in order to have a good time.
"My brother-in-law helping his buddy Dobby look for the brain cell"
Do orange cats have one brain cell? While some may be smarter than others, it's hard to ignore the fact that it often feels like the lights are on but nobody's home.
We're not sure if either party here is closer to finding the rogue brain cell, but in any event, they're invested in the hunt.
"Put on my dad uniform today and began the journey of fatherhood!"
Can you wear an unfashionable pair of white New Balance sneakers if you're not a dad? Sure, it's technically possible, but it just doesn't feel right.
Of course, once you become a dad, it becomes necessary almost immediately to pick up a pair of these iconic shoes.
"I took my dad to the match, fulfilling a 20+ year promise"
Big-time sporting events are more expensive and exclusive than ever, making it hard for many fans to get out to a game.
This one's a bit bittersweet, as the dad is no longer around to enjoy the game with his kid. But at least he's there in memory.
"I came into the living room to see my wife in her wedding dress...watching the royal wedding"
For people in North America, royal weddings tend to happen in the wee hours of the morning, making for an unusual viewing experience.
Add in your own wedding dress while watching a wedding from across the pond at 3 a.m. and things just become surreal.
"Family Christmas picture photobomb"
Usually a pet walking in front of the camera will ruin a photo, as the resulting image is often just a blurry shot of fur. But in this case, the pup actually made the photo better.
I mean, just look at it: the dog is looking directly at the camera, and even though it's taking center stage, it isn't fully blocking anyone out.
"My grandpa and his old friend Wynton braving the cold"
These two old friends aren't wearing their matching Hudson's Bay sweaters as a fashion statement - they're wearing them because it's a cold day, and they're the warmest garments available.
If you saw these two walking down your street on a cold winter day, it would almost definitely bring a smile to your face.
"My wife and I take a picture on our anniversary - seven years married today!"
It's good to commemorate life events, big and small, with a quick photo every now and then.
This couple missed out on the chance to do a photoception (holding a pic of their first anniversary for their second anniversary pic, and so on), but it's still a great photo.
"Our piglet had surgery and isn't allowed to run or be out of her coop - so the family decided to heal together"
Most of us don't have a piglet at all, let alone a piglet that's recovering from surgery and confined to a coop.
But for those of us who do fit into this narrow demographic, this is how you show said piglet that they're a valued member of the family.
"The cycle of life in one quiet moment"
There's something profoundly affecting about seeing an old person interact with a baby. It makes you think not just of the cycle of life, but of time itself.
After all, if an 80-year-old meets an infant who lives to be 80, you're witnessing the crossroads of more than 150 years of history.
"Father-son bonding"
Some of our most cherished core memories are often the times we spent bonding with our parents.
Whether it's fishing, sports, or a different hobby, it's important to hold onto these memories while making an effort to make new memories for the next generation.
"When the waiter accidentally spills an entire glass of ice water down your back and your brother in law just so happens to have his camera to capture one of your finest moments..."
Some photos are perfectly timed, where the shutter snaps at the exact split-second where something big happens.
Nobody planned for this photo to be so hilarious, but all it took was a little bit of serendipity (and a lot of ice water) to make for an all-time classic photo.
"I let my wife dip me at our wedding"
Wedding photos have a way of blending in together, becoming a blur of nice suits, white dresses, and flowing fabric.
To stand out, sometimes it's necessary to do something a little bit different - and this couple decided to make their wedding instantly memorable.
"Mere seconds after she said yes."
Proposals can go in a number of different ways, from horrified shock to contemplation to outright joy. We'll give you one guess as to which category this one falls into.
In any event, it looks like he managed to hang onto the ring - a good thing, since she fully tackled him into the grass.
