As moms, I think a lot of us come off as absent from our family’s lives because we’re never in every day photos, especially in my circles. But I promise you, we aren’t absent; we’re just busy capturing memories behind the lens. If you look hard enough, you’ll see we’re in every reflection and memory with love.
Although it doesn’t always look like it, especially on social media, I’m always with my family. I’m always there, behind the camera lens, capturing memories so that they never forget. I’m there. And just like that camera is always in my hand, memories of them are forever etched in my mind. They are beautiful memories, my family is beautiful, so I enjoy sharing them with my friends and family from behind the lens.
But I’m not absent. At all. I’m always there…in their reflections. The reflections in their eyes, in their smiles. In every photo that you don’t see me as a part of my family’s life, I’m there. I might be the shadow you never see because I edit it out, but I’m there. Always. It’s my job to capture these memories and the only payment I ask for is hugs, kisses, and love. Because I’m a mom. And I’m always there…
Watching them play…
Watching him be crazy…
And fight the waves like a NINJA…
And…watching my babies grow up before my very eyes…from behind my lens.
While I’m capturing crazy smiles…because it’s my favorite!
Capturing the moments as they unfold? That’s another favorite of mine.
This is what fun memories are made of. And this is how I stay absent from my family’s life…from behind my lens.
Because, one day, when I’m old and grey (shush, I’m not there yet…other than that grey thing), too feeble to hold my camera, and my memories are fading…I hope they show me all of the memories I captured from behind the lens while I seemed like an absent mom to the outside world. I was always there, smiling. I was always there. And just because I hid behind the lens, I hope I won’t notice that it seemed like I wasn’t there. I hope they remember to remind me that I was always tagging along by showing me all of the reflections that I forgot to edit out.
And above all else, I hope they’ll show me these photos and remind me of this life I lived mostly for them, from behind my lens, because that’s what made me happy.
I’m not absent. I’m just busy capturing memories from behind my lens. Are you?
About Christy
Aren’t we all? Although every so often it’s nice to let someone else capture the memories while we make them.