so i was like the new-year-grinch last night and declared on facebook, somewhat stridently, that this year…
“just for the record.. i'm not doing resolutions, i'm not doing a project life, a 365 photos or 52 weeks of organising, simplifying or instagramming my life. i am toying with the one little word concept that i may or may not remember in february.”
but actually, i’m taking that back, already. i was looking through my christmas day photos and found this one today. i looked at it and then i looked at it again, and something dawned on me. this is my beautiful mum, who continues to work tirelessly for local and international charities, won $50,000 on Millionaire Hot Seat and danced with Elvis on her 80th birthday. she’s pretty damned awesome for her age, actually, for any age.
but what i realised is that photos are a gift. this photo is a gift. i don’t know how much longer i’ll have mum in my life, i hope for a few more decades, but how do you know. what i do know is that behind that little smile as she faces me and my camera head on in this shot, is love.
if it were me, i’d be turning away, ducking behind the sofa, grabbing a cushion, a dog or a child to hide all the bits of my body i’m not happy with, that i don’t want recorded for posterity. instead of recognising that those photos are part of my legacy, a gift to my children, with that unconditional love of theirs. so this year, i resolve to face the camera head on and try to show in my photos the same love and generosity of spirit that my mum radiates.
but i’m still not tweeting gratituding, or flyladying daily.
xx
