Getting in the Picture

I enjoy scrapbooking.  I wouldn’t say I’m naturally crafty or talented at it but I do enjoy sitting down with pictures of my kids and arranging them in fun, colorful ways to capture the memories of their childhood.  But whenever I get to the pages where I want to include pictures of each child with Andrew and myself, I always discover someone missing…… ME!!!!

Are there any other moms out there who find this to be true?  Do you ever look through pictures of your kids and find that you spend more time behind the camera than in front of it?

I was very conscious of my aversion to the camera and very aware of the times I would purposefully dodge the camera. 

The reason – because instead of capturing the extra baby weight, the unkempt hair, my lack of make-up, or less-than-fashionable wardrobe, it’s just easier for me to stand behind the camera and capture each milestone my kids reach.

But recently I read an article that challenged me by asking the question, “do your kids care?” 

Do your kids care about the extra pounds you may have gained while carrying them inside you? 

Do your kids care whether or not you’re able to stand in front of the mirror for 15 minutes that morning to make yourself presentable?

Do your kids care that you haven’t been able to afford new clothes recently?

The only thing your kids really care about is that you are their mom.  We aren’t going to be around forever and someday a time will come when we aren’t able to be in our children’s lives anymore.  At that point, it is vitally important that we leave behind memories and photos for our children to hold onto and cherish. 

I want my kids to be able to look back on their childhood photos someday and be able to see their mom.  To see that I was, at one point, young, active and every bit involved in their lives.  And the thing that I realized is that whereas I see pictures of myself and start picking apart all the negatives, my kids look at pictures and just see their mommy. 

So here’s my challenge for all of you.  Don’t dodge the camera.  Get in front of it!  Capture memories with your kids for them to keep even after we’ve past.