Oct 11, 2012

Get In The Picture Already

Have you all seen this piece? The Mom Stays in the Picture  Its been going around Facebook for at least a week and I still see friends posting today.  If you haven't read it feel free.  

I wanted to share this photo of me from 2008.  Hair looking horrible, , no make up at all and 155+ pounds over weight in shapeless sweatshirt. I hate this photo of myself.  No seriously, I HATE the way I look here. But it will serve as a reminder of a great evening spent with my family.  This was the me my family saw everyday, so why hide it?  I spent years avoiding photos because I hated seeing the reality.  But here's the deal your family sees it, strangers see it...it is what it is.  

The night this photo was taken I had my dslr camera, I took some gorgeous shots of an old church, and photos of the boys in the cool doorway.  But this in the only photo I was in and only because my aunt INSISTED that she needed a photo of all of us.  We had a GREAT night, at at a place called El Pollo Loco (which ironically felt like a Greek place to me but sounded Spanish??) and took in the awesome scenery of Cedarburg Wisconsin.  Why wouldn't I want my kids to remember this night and that I was there WITH them.

When it comes to getting front of the camera, you have three choices:
  1. You can try to avoid reality by avoiding the camera lens. You can rob your family of the visual reminders of the time spent with you once you've left this earth.
  2. You can change the reality.  You can take the time to make physical changes if there are real issues there. Or you can get counseling if you have body images issues.
  3. You can forget all about your issues, know that your family loves you regardless and remember to snap some photos that include you the next time you're at a family gathering, one of your kids sporting events or just playing around the house.
No matter which you chose, life will go on.  But it won't go on forever.  Someday people who love you, a whole lot, will be left here with only your memories.  Do you really think they'll look at a photo of you and think "Wow, she really took awhile to lose that baby weight?" or "Think she could have slapped on some make up before she took a photo once in a while?"
I really doubt it.  They may however, laugh at the style of the day...I can tell you sure do when I look at the photos of my mom and my grandma.  But as far as they are concerned, I see the amazing, beautiful women who meant everything to me, I see no physical imperfections at all.

So if you've read Allison Tate's piece and you still aren't jumping in front of the camera, please take a moment and find a friend who's lost a parent.  Ask them how much the photos they have mean to them.  And then go out and take some photos with your kids no matter how old they are.

One of my only regrets from my mom's last month is that I thought enough to take some great shots of her with my boys but I didn't have anyone take any of her and I.  I promise you'll never regret the photos you DO take, but you may regret the ones you don't!!

5 comments:

  1. Amen! I for one have changed my view on hiding from the camera!

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  3. Great post, Lisa. I have very few photos of me with the kids, but it's only because I'm always behind the camera. I really should hand it over to my husband more often!

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    1. If he's anything like mine, they probably won't be the best photos but they are better than nothing. Most of mine lately are self pics with my phone!!

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