Photography
Allowing Myself to Be in Photos Even When It’s Not Mother’s Day
January Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Self”
Moms,
Be in the photos too.
When my mother passed away, I went searching through photos for her memorial. I found photos of her as a child, a teenager, in her 20s, and then I struggled to find anymore. Most of them were of me, a few of us together.
I knew she didn’t like to be in photos, but I didn’t realize, until it was too late, I barely had any of her when I was a child.
As I looked through my family photos, digital and printed, I see many are of my children, my husband, and other family members. Few of myself since I always declare, “I’m the photographer!”
I’ve never liked to look at myself in photos, always self-criticizing each flaw, each pound. It’s only with the passage of time that I’ll look back at a photo that I originally hated and think, “What was I thinking?”
The above original photo was one such one I didn’t like. It was taken by my husband on Mother’s Day in 2020. I hated my hair, letting it go because of lockdown. I was tired of being in the house. It was a dreary, rainy day. I suggested we go for a long walk near our home.
I didn’t want my photo taken, so I pushed the hoodie up over my hair and told my husband, “hurry up!” I grinned and bore it because it was mother’s day.
As I looked at the photo on my phone, I again told myself it was a horrible photo, wanting to delete it.
Ignoring that annoying voice in my head, I had it printed, framed, and placed on the buffet table in our living room.
When Mother’s Day rolled around last year, I took the above photo as a reminder that I’m good enough no matter what day of the year it is.
Inspiration
This post was written in response to Mary Chang Story Writer’s January prompt.
Tagging other six-word photo writers
Penny Grubb, Dennett, Sherry Kappel, Pene Hodge, Diana Lotti, pockett dessert, K. Barrett, Kim Zuch, Divina Grey, TC Hails, Will Hull, Ching Ching, Susan Alison, Sandi Parsons, Diana Lotti, B.R. Shenoy, Pulpo Viejo, Divina Grey, kasey sparks, Arwyn Clark, Dunelair, Krystal Mossbarger, David Acaster, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Kris Bedenian, keith kennedy
✍ Written by Ellie Jacobson, @2022 all rights reserved.
✨ I’m a freelance writer and editor from Minnesota, writing my first novel, a psychological suspense novel. Are you a writer? Check out Sparks, my newsletter filled with writing prompts to spark your creativity.
