I take hundreds of photos every month, and most of them don’t get shared with anyone, let alone online. And yet the moments in time that those photos capture are just as important a part of our story as the other images that I do choose to share.
I originally created this blog as a way of documenting our lives, a way of watching the girls grow into who they’re going to be and a way of remembering who they once were. It’s something I want them to be able to look back on as they get older, because memories fade but (digital) photographs don’t.
It’s easy (and tempting) to only focus on sharing the fun bits, the memorable parts, the highlights and the celebrations. But I’m learning more and more as I continue through this crazy journey of motherhood that it’s really important to me that I capture the ordinary, everyday times that we spend together as well.
The bits of the jigsaw that fill in the gaps to complete the picture.
The tantalising glimpses into who our girls are becoming.
The chaos, the calm and all the moments in between.
This monthly feature – The Moments In Between – is a space for me to share all of those magical and messy parts of our family life that would otherwise just stay in a folder on my laptop, never to see the light of day.
FEBRUARY
Compared to January, February felt like it disappeared in the blink of an eye. I’m quite glad about that – it means we’re one step closer to Spring and new leaves and blossom and blue skies. Maybe even a fresh start and a little bit more freedom (*crosses fingers*).
There was a more steady and settled rhythm to our time than last month: home-school and work during the week; errands and walks in the sunshine that teased us with the promise of warmth at the weekends; and thankfully no major disruptions or upsets. It felt like we were finding our feet again after January’s chaos, and preparing ourselves for the possible changes to come in March with the return to school.
It’s odd to think that this time last year no-one really had any idea what was about to happen in the world. There were rumblings in the media of course, but it didn’t seem close enough or serious enough to be concerned about. If I could go back to February last year and offer any advice to that version of me, it would be to hold on tight to the things that matter and to let go of everything that doesn’t.
For me, that’s what photography and documenting my family is all about – recording the things that matter so that we can hold on tight to those moments forever. Leaving a legacy that tells our story through the good times and the hard times so that the girls can see themselves through my eyes, so they know that I really saw them for exactly who they are. I want them to know how loved they are, always. I guess photographs are my way of showing them that – a visual love letter of sorts.
This was our February, the second chapter of a same-but-different year in the midst of a pandemic, full of moments that I want to remember.
This is us.
