Because You Were There Too {An Open Letter to Moms}
To the mama who has been avoiding the mirror the past few years.
To the mama who hasn't had time to touch up her roots.
To the mama who takes a thousand photos on her phone of her cute kids, but none of her with them.
To the mama who didn't have time to put on makeup this morning.
To the mama who isn't the size she wants to be.
Get in the photo. Please. You are only in this phase of life once. One time and then it’s gone.
I hear it from my clients and would-be clients so often. I want to lose 20 pounds first. Nothing fits me right now. Trust me, I feel all of that to the core because I have battled those excuses for years.
But real talk time: I'm at my all-time highest weight. I avoid mirrors like the plague, but my eight month old will only be eight months old quicker than I can blink. I want to remember what our family looked like in this time. I want my daughters to see how much love is shining in my eyes when I cuddle them in close. So, much to my husband's irritation, I have arranged for quite a few professional sessions just in the past year —weight be damned.
Photo courtesy Amanda Steinbacher Photography, LLC.
One of my biggest regrets is not having family photos from when I was growing up. And as an adult, I never organized an extended family session of my own. My mom passed away last year, and I have very few photos of us together. What I wouldn't give to go back in time to have more snapshots of us.
Two years ago while vacationing at Ocean City, NJ, I brought my oldest daughter out to the beach for sunrise photos of her. A woman walking along the shoreline spotted us and offered to take a photo of the two of us. At first I refused. I wasn’t showered, had no makeup on, hair in a ratty bun. But I stopped myself and said “Yes, that would be great, thank you!” and handed her my phone. That photo will likely not be enlarged as a canvas or made my profile pic, but I will cherish the meaning of that moment.
Resolve to make a better effort to record your time with your children - whether a phone selfie or a professional photography session. Twenty years from now while you look over your photos, you won't remember what jean size you wore or how much you needed a haircut.
You'll remember how your two year old's face crinkles when she laughs. You'll remember the little dimple in your baby's elbow. You'll remember how soft your son's cheek felt when you kissed it.
Life is always changing and this moment will never happen again. Tomorrow your babies will be just a little bit bigger and your hair will be just a little bit more gray. The time to capture those pictures is now.
