In light of Mother’s Day this May, I want to take a moment to honor all the mothers out there reading this by reminding you to stay in the picture. You may have already heard this somewhere else, or in many places. I know I have. More and more websites, social media posts, and friends and family are celebrating getting mom into the picture. In that case, I am here to reinforce what you have already heard. If you haven’t already heard this reminder, stay with me.
Why should mothers stay in the picture?
For You
Yes, for you. Happy Mother’s Day. Staying in the picture, taking selfies, jumping in with your kids, asking your spouse to take pictures of you and the kids, and scheduling photo shoots with you and your family are all gifts to you.
How?
You Can See Yourself
Have you ever looked back at high school pictures of yourself, or even photos from when you were in your twenties or thirties? From before you had kids? When you and your husband were still in the early days of love?
And you think, “Man, if only I looked as (insert positive quality here: good, thin, young, you name it) as I did back then.”
Yep. We all do it.
Well, believe it or not, you will look back at pictures of yourself now in 20 years and do the same thing. It’s true. If you are graced with the privilege of age, you will long to remember how young, healthy, and beautiful you were in these moments.
Yes. You’re beautiful.
You Can Travel Back in Time Better
And speaking of remembering, a picture says a thousand words. You’ll want those memories, the stories, the gift of time travel that is to be had by looking back at photos. Sure, you can look at photos of your kids, but there’s a much deeper impact when you look at photos of you with your kids.
Of you all snuggled in bed, messy hair, no makeup, on a Saturday morning. It will instantly transport you back to those moments.
Take the selfies! Ask your husband to snap a quick shot.
Years from now it will all come rushing back to you when you revisit these photos.
You Can Enjoy Photos of Your Family on the Wall
Really? You’re not going to hang photos of your family on the wall without you. Professional photo sessions are so great because you get to dress up, look your best, feel your best, and have an expert in family photo sessions capture you all in your glory.
The greatest joy for me as a photographer and a mom is having someone else catch those small moments of joy I am having with my kids. And even the not so joyful moments. This is life, mamas, and we want to be able to glance up at the framed photos on the wall one day when we’re sitting with our hot tea in a mug and a book in our laps, the kids have all moved out of our homes and into their own individual lives, and see ourselves in those days.
For Them
And you’re not just doing it for you. You’re getting into the picture for them, too. Your kids will be so grateful to have memories of you all together.
So They Can Feel What You Feel
There’s something about seeing a mother in candid moments with her children that imparts such feelings of love, devotion, and grace. You feel it all the time, but when your kids look back at photos of you all together, of you hugging them, holding them, snuggling them, they feel it too.
Of course, they always feel their love for you, but when they see you in the picture, they can also feel your love for them.
I have witnessed it myself watching my daughter look at photos of us from just last week, last month, or a year ago. I watch her eyes roving over the photo, I can feel her softening, opening, empathizing with my love for her.
If there is any gift we want to give our kids, mamas, it is the gift of knowing how truly loved they are.
Because the Memory Is a Tricky Thing
I have also heard many children ask their mothers, “Where were you, Mama?” They look at the many photos on the walls, on dressers and bookshelves, on Mom’s phone, and in photo albums, and they don’t see Mom.
Memories of those times may become clear, but the fact that you were there, behind the scenes, behind the camera, doing most of the heavy lifting, gets fuzzy. Moms become background noise in their children’s lives rather than the powerful force we are.
Yea. Get in that picture!
So You Can Break the Cycle
Finally, it’s time.
Your mom did it. Her mom did. All the moms before us did it. They hid from the camera because they were too this, too that, and they are now lost in time, fading like the stuff of long-lost dreams instead of holding firmly to the legacy they have left behind.
It’s time to break that cycle.
You are the heart of your family. It is almost universally true. Mothers are the glue that holds the family together.
It is high time that you break the cycle of being invisible.
Who knows what’s possible for your children if you do? You get into the picture, and your daughter learns that this is what we women do. We hold space for ourselves.
Your son learns that women are strong, smart, capable people who take up space. And he honors that.
Imagine the possibilities, mamas.
Get into the picture, and stay there.
If you are ready to schedule your next family photo session, I’d love to help you get into the picture.
Contact me today.