They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes I think the lack of pictures can speak volumes as well.
After I gained a lot of weight while pregnant with Madisyn, I found myself avoiding getting in the picture.
In fact, as I look back through her baby book, I find myself in very few pictures.
And by few, we are talking I can count on one hand.
And yes, I am a mom and I am usually the one behind the lens, but how long can I really hide behind that excuse?
If something, God forbid, were to happen to me…what pictures would my children have to look back on and remember me by? Me holding them and loving on them? Those pictures are few and far between and it makes me sad.
Long ago I allowed myself to believe the lie that I was no longer beautiful, because I was bigger.
It’s a lie that has been stealing my joy, and my presence in photos for the last TEN years.
Am I happy with my body? No.
But I am working on that.
And in the mean time that doesn’t mean I should deprive myself and my family of precious documentation of memories that I will never get back.
As women we need to embrace ourselves….every single part of us.
We created a hashtag – #theeverydaymom, {very Jimmy Fallon of us, we know,} and we want you mamas to use it to embrace your beauty!
We are the every day mom. Whether that means yoga pants and a t-shirt cleaning up spilled sippy cups, or a power suit in a board room kicking butt and taking names…we want to celebrate Y-O-U! You and the beautiful women that you are.
We want to challenge you to step out from behind that camera, and be present. Looking back you won’t care if you had on lipstick or if your hair was dirty. Instead, you are going to notice the precious baby hands and feet wrapped around you lovingly and that photo will speak to your soul. Pictures are the only freeze frames we have of the moments we treasure, and you don’t want to miss out because you were in yoga pants or having a bad hair day. I promise.
Be present.
Be unapologetic.
BeYOUtiful.
Amen! Love you friend.
I love this, so true. There are times I will be giggling with my kids or making silly faces and my husband will take pictures. I cringe but he wont let me delete them. I now look at those and LOVE them. They are me and my kids, un altered, not perfect, horrible lighting, messed up hair. But our joy and love is so evident it becomes perfection. This needs to be in our minds at all times. Also to our kids we are the most beautiful, and if we are lucky our spouses feel the same way. Us Mommy’s are really awesome!
Goodness, I can definitely relate to this post. All of the pictures of Mason and I are upclose selfies with my iPhone. I love this idea! Your pictures are beautiful!!
I totally love this challenge and I’m playing along!
I love this. I try to be intentional about asking my husband to take a picture with me in it when we’re all together.
When I look back at the pictures I have from my childhood, I always think “man, I wish my Mom was in more of these” Fortunately my mom is still around, and I have opportunities to take pictures with her now, but there is something special about those childhood photos with Mommy!
Audrey Hepburn is my favorite actress.