Mindy was Here

My mom was (and is) beautiful, but there aren’t many photographs to prove it. She is blessed with gorgeous skin, bright blue eyes, and a lovely smile. I remember seeing a photograph of her when I was a girl, her hair in a beehive, her smile confident, and thinking, “Wow.” Another picture showed mom on the beach with our family in casual clothes, her blonde girls tousled, an enormous grin on her face. She looked gorgeous, free, happy, and I wish I had a copy to hang on my wall.

Over the years, my mom did an amazing job taking pictures and collecting mementos of my childhood. I’m her 4th and I still have photos of birthday parties, preschool field trips, Christmases, and family vacations. My photo albums contain pictures of just me, fun photos of me and my Dad, plus plenty with my siblings. She faithfully recorded life’s big moments and her touch can be seen everywhere – the amazing birthday cakes, creative party games and crafts, and adorable hand made clothing. Mom’s loving influence is in all of the photos, but she’s invariably behind the camera.

Beyond these moments for her kids, mom is a creative, talented woman. She served in our church and community, worked in different endeavors, and enjoyed spending time with friends. Perhaps there’s a photo album I don’t know about, but the record of this feels absent as well. Where are her various haircuts, those awesome ’80s clothes, the candids of her with girlfriends?

I suspect life was the biggest factor: She was busy living it, not worried about recording it. Film was expensive and you had to consciously remember your camera everywhere you went. You couldn’t take 10 shots of yourself, take a peek, then choose one worthy of keeping. Pictures were meant for filling up a photo album with limited space that you consciously put together. You didn’t capture a moment on a whim to post as your facebook profile.

Like with my childhood, I believe you can see my influence in the thousands of photographs of my kids – the birthday cakes, the leaf piles, the family outings, the candid grins. I’m even making a conscious effort ensure that mom is in the picture, asking Tim to take my photo with the kids at times, And I’m glad because I want those moments of motherhood, the center of my life, captured. Digital photography even makes it possible for me to grab a picture of myself with my son on a recent field trip like this:

When we were dating, Tim was in the middle of his photography phase. While I teased him about not taking enough photographs of people, I treasure the photos he captured of me. They tell a story about who I was and give a glimpse of me at that age. There are some great photos of me along the way, especially when a new baby comes along, but I want to continue that story for me and for my children.

I want to capture myself at different stages and ages – a woman who changed her hairstyle on a whim, tried different clothing combos (sometimes with success), loved sparkly eye shadow, and went through a phase(s) where I wore vintage hats to church. I want to look back, remember, and celebrate the different stages of my life. I don’t want to be afraid that I didn’t always look the way I wanted, carried extra weight, or was caught without make up. I want to reminisce in photographs about who I was, how I’ve changed, and how I’ve stayed the same. I want to see a bit of what my kids see when they look at me.

Perhaps it’s just vanity, but I’ve made a conscious effort to turn the phone camera on myself recently. It never looks like what I see and the picture quality leaves much to be desired, but it’s a fun way to capture a bit of who I am. Right now. This moment. Mindy was here.

Now I want to see photos of YOU! I would love to see my readers turn the camera on themselves either for today and for a few days. If you feel so inclined, post the photos on your blog under the title “_ was Here” and link back in the comments!