In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, I'm sharing a few of my favorite images of motherhood. I'm also sharing three reasons why photographs are so important and why you should get in the frame with your kids.
1. We take photos of what is important to us.
People, events, moments. The photographs that endure are those that remind us of something that is important. Family, love, happiness. These are all aspects of life that we don't want to forget. We return to those photographs that help us remember what it was like to live in that moment - not only to cherish the past, but to remind us of what matters today.
2. Photographs send a message.
More than documenting these moments for ourselves, with photographs, we're sending a message to others, especially our children, that this is what matters to us. Relationships with loved ones. Momentous occasions. Daily activities that add up to a lifetime of memories. Seeing these images, especially in prints you can hold in your hands (more on that in a post to come!), speaks volumes. Worth a thousand words, right? ;-)
3. Photographs are a part of our family history.
My mom is the historian in our family (thanks, Mama!) and I often tell her I wish we had pictures to go along with all the names and dates in our family tree. I wish I could see what my ancestors looked like and have clues that give insight into who they were and what was important to them. My hope is that the images I take for my family and others' will become a part of our family stories, painting a more complete picture of where we came from and what mattered to us.
Taking pictures with our kids, not just of them, conveys how important they are to us and how dear we hold our relationship with them and our role as mother. Documenting these aspects of our lives is not only important for them and for us, but for their children and for future family historians.
Young or old, the familial bond is one of the most enduring aspects of life. So, now, whether your kids are 2, 20, or 62, go take a picture with them! And while you're at it, if you're fortunate enough to have the opportunity, take a picture with your Mom too!
And because it would be rude to ignore my own advice, here are a couple of recent favorites from my own moments in motherhood. Happy Mother's Day!
