Family is everything. It’s everything that makes us crazy, makes us laugh, and brings meaning to our lives. Families take so many shapes these days. From those that live in ‘two houses,’ to the kind which are built of close friend connections which become family, and those multi-generation families who keep in close contact and have annual reunions, your tribe is made up of the people most important to you.
If 2020 will teach us nothing else, it will most likely be just how important your family is to you. They are likely the rock that is keeping you grounded. OR, if you suddenly have become an instant teacher and are homeschooling and you’re going a little crazy, that’s okay too. Remember, it’s fine if your family puts the ‘fun’ in dysfunction.
As we entered this time in our lives, and our history, few of us considered the impact of COVID-19 on our holidays and traditions. Many have been robbed of those precious annual photos usually taken on the holiday family get together. We have empty arms without grandparents to hug, or aunties to snuggle.
It’s comforting to be able to look back on past years and feel those embraces through the pictures we took then. With mother’s day approaching, it’s okay to feel sad about all this tremendous loss. The personal, the emotional, the idea of a Mother’s Day without seeing, hugging, and being near the powerful women in our lives is certainly something many of us will be struggling with. So be sad, but then feel free to get mad.
That’s right: get mad. And then DO something about it!
Let’s rail against this moment stealing, memory thief that is the coronavirus. How many times have you skipped being in the photo? How events did you happily take up the job of ‘photographer’ and captured that family moment with everyone in your family but you? You need to get in the picture, lady!
I find that most moms have great photos of their spouse, their kids, and their parents, but very few of them. You have put all the people you love into a frame because you want to capture them and hold onto the memory of who they are: don’t your kids want the same thing? Imagine if you had no photos of your parents?
We know that brighter days are coming. We know that family gatherings, big hugs, and memorable moments are on the horizon and more than ever: we know more than ever now how important it is to fully capture them. As we gather our collective strength to navigate our families through the toughest tragedy many of us will ever know, we appreciate the power of the women in our lives and the need to have portraits of them. More important than ever, women need to exist in photos.
COVID-19 will rob us of so much, not the least of which are important family’s moments, and that’s all the more reason to make the most of the treasured days of togetherness that lie ahead. Let’s make a plan to record your family, the people who make up your tribe, AND you, creating memories together that will be important portraits for your kids, and generations to come.
I can help with every step from choosing a location, to helping select your outfits. When it is safe to photograph your family again, I am ready for you.
May 22, 2020
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