Dear Mum,
How are you feeling? Quick question, what does your photo album look like on your phone?
As you try to document every sweet moment of your child(ren), there are probably a bunch of pictures that have accumulated over time. Recently, a friend was looking through her phone for a nice picture of herself when she exclaimed, “I have no pictures!”
She tossed me her phone and told me to look for myself. Lo and behold, the only pictures I discovered were those of her hands, half her face, or of course, an awkward blurry picture that tells the story of a toddler who stole his mum’s phone and ran.
This friend was disappointed about the fact that she had no pictures, but she was more upset when she realised she did not make an effort to be in them herself.
Mum, you have a right to feel upset if you do not have any decent pictures of yourself on your phone. It shouldn’t make you feel guilty for feeling this way because the truth is that you should be in those photos too.
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You make an effort to snap everyone else and these images are undoubtedly always cherished. Without sounding like too much of an advert – you aren’t just taking photos, you’re capturing memories!
In most cases, pictures are valuable memories taken by the loving hands of a mother.
She sees her child doing something memorable, runs faster than the speed of light to grab her phone and runs back to carefully pick the best angles before snapping the perfect image. Once the impromptu photo shoot is over, the mum lets out a sigh of relief for successfully capturing a moment that has been whisked away by time.
You are crucial
It seems mundane, but if we really take a second to think about it, the sentiment is incredibly sweet and loving.
Just like mum makes this effort to take pictures of everyone, it’s important to remember that she is also deserving of a photoshoot. So here’s a reminder: whenever you get the chance, get in the picture, mum.
If you feel like you need to capture yourself in the moment, put your camera on self-timer, switch to selfie mode, and save that wonderful memory of yourself. If you feel great about yourself and there’s someone around to take your picture, hand them your phone and let them snap away.
If it’s the hands of your four year old taking the picture, put it on live mode and snap some screenshots of the live image. Who knows? Your child might be a professional photographer and you may end up with an amazing and photoshoot. But more than anything, you would’ve given yourself that one moment.
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Time is of the essence and every photo is a nostalgic reminder of the past. Whether you’re smiling, staring into the future, dramatically posing, caught in an unexpected moment, or simply wanting to capture that selfie because you felt good- do not hesitate for a second.
You are a crucial part of your family and the entire routine at home survives because of you. Decades from now, when your children and their children look back on family photos of the past, it is only right that they see who you were in all your glory.
Here’s to more photos of beautiful, loving, super-mums.
Kind Regards,
Chereen
Chereen Shurafa is a Doha based community counsellor, writer, and certified change coach. She is the founder of “Dear Chereen”, an online platform dedicated to mindfulness, mental health, and inspiration.
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