AHHH the Holidays….
December is knocking on the door…
Target looks like the back room of a Holiday Party on steroids and
MY kids are starting all their sentences with…
“The ONLY thing I REALLY REALLY REALLY I want is….”
And It is CHRISTMAS CARD PHOTO TIME AGAIN…
Back in the old days…I would invest time that would have been better spent on a GOOD nap…striving for that ONE photo. “SMILE DAMMIT!!!” You know how it goes..the elusive photo where everyone is looking in the same direction AND looking happy… a photo that would That would sum it all up.
It is just like ANYTHING else … When you try too hard it sabotages the process.
There are still chunks of life that toss me on my butt in confusion…
but I can say with utmost confidence
that ANY photo of your children will make you smile…
….years from now.
THANKFULLY…. FINALLY…
somewhere between toddlers and middle school I got in through my
THICK NUMB skull that there is no such thing as THE picture…
THE moment, which captures a WHOLE year…
YOU CANNOT CAPTURE A WHOLE YEAR IN A PHOTO.
But you can make people smile.
You can show them a good day…or a fun moment frozen in time…
You can make them wonder…”Where were they when that was taken?” or exclaim…
“Those kids are getting SO big!” 
You can tell them with your photo that despite
that you communicate with them but once a year
….that they DO mean something to you…and to your family and that
you hope that the year has treated them well.
You can tell them…. that even if your BELOVED sister in law died…that life is going on and smiles are still possible… That it gets a little easier to breathe… and to LIVE… and even…to laugh.
You can tell them Thank You for the notes and the cards and the calls and the texts and the support.
For their LOVE
The kids are healthy and Happy and have lots of good friends…
and LIFE is good.
You cannot capture a year in a photo… But each MOMENT is precious… and beautiful. ….
You can tell people with a CARD or a PHOTO or both wrapped into ONE…
that you LOVE them…
That they mean something to you…
and That you are grateful…
Very Grateful…
to be here…with ONE MORE PHOTO. To Say HAPPY HOLIDAYS HANG IN THERE.
XO
As an Auntie (the target audience for the Christmas photo) I love the imperfect pictures the best. The ones where someone’s making a face or clearly bored with the photo process, because I get a little glimpse into their personalities. Even better if the picture is taken at someone’s baseball game or when the kidlets are all swimming or something they were doing one day. I adore those!
As someone who doesn’t have kids, I absolutely love seeing pictures of all my friends’ kids. Don’t ever think we singletons are into your kids and families. I love them and put them up on my fridge because I see my dear friends’ faces in those kids and I love that! Especially when the kids get older and I start to see the young girl or boy that I was friends with at that age. What a treasure.
So well said, Lesli! A good reminder that stressing about getting THE photo isn’t necessary or productive. Thanks 🙂
I’m so sorry for your loss. The holidays will be especially hard this year. Keep memories alive…no one can take those from you. Your children are beautiful!
Thank you Vicki, you words are very comforting. xo
Your pictures are priceless! Found myself going back to look at some of them again because they cracked me up! Thank you for sharing. I know you and your family are going through a sad time right now. Wishing you blessings and joy during this holiday season.