I love reading to our kids, and while many of our favorite books don’t have an important takeaway (they are just silly, fun, or maybe teaching the alphabet), some of our favorites intentionally teach kindness, value diversity, and model inclusive communities.
Read MoreTraveling with kids certainly isn't a vacation. But as soon as you let go of that idea, I've found that, with new intention and perspective, it becomes a lot more meaningful. Common family experiences and adventures break you out of your comfort zone together, fostering growth, connection, and yes, even mindfulness.
Read MoreI'm not going to lie, it's usually easier to stay home. But somewhere in the chaos of packing up the car with all the gear, snacks for days and extra clothes (because you know something will happen to the ones they're wearing), long drives with inevitable whining, and the slivers of peace and awe and beauty of experiencing the outdoors together...well, that's where life happens.
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Me with my daughter. This was my first time using my new tripod.
[Yikes, first posts are scary!] I decided to start The Shortest Years because, as a busy working mom, I've been learning the value of having a creative outlet for myself. While I have always loved photography, I dove into learning everything I could when I got a new DSLR camera for a birthday gift in 2016. While I still have a lot to learn, photography has changed the way in which I view the world. 99% of the time I'm photographing our kids, and while once in a while I try to get them to "cheese" for the camera, usually I am just capturing our simple, everyday moments as they come, whether it's my toddler's cute little squat, or my son running after a ball or digging in the dirt. Seeing the world through my lens has helped me to live in the present, to observe the beauty all around me (skies! light! my kids' amazing eyelashes!), and to preserve our family's memories. In fact, I use that line with Kaili every time I convince him to get professional family photos taken: "We're preserving our family's memories, gosh darn it!!!" You can't argue with that, right?
My Why
Starting this blog has been the 2.0 version of everything I love about picking up my camera. I love to write, and although I coach my students on their own writing a lot, I hate to say that it's been a while since I've done any personal writing of my own. I think about writing all the time, yet even my kids' baby books have been left blank, journaling goes by the wayside, and in the past, all of the ideas in my head have not made their way to paper. I've always made the excuse that I'm busy and life gets in the way. I'm not going to lie, there was a time in which I would have completely cringed at the idea of putting a blog on the internet for the world to see. Yet, there are a couple major reasons I came around to the idea of blogging.
First, accountability. Even if no one actually reads this but a couple of my besties, having the goal to create, to write, to share my images in this one place makes me feel compelled to keep going.
Second, and this is a big one, community. Now, some will argue that building community with strangers on the internet is not real or worthwhile. I disagree. Like many of you, I've found resources, writers, and real community online which have helped me in countless ways as I became a new mom, and struggled adjusting to this role which brings me so much joy, but also turns my world upside down. Even if this blog helps one person feel connected or validated or heard, then I think it is worthwhile for me to put it all out there.
And last but not least, I want to leave a legacy for my family, so we can look back on this time that I'm afraid will be a big-time blur. I lost my mom to cancer when I was nine years old, and some of my most meaningful possessions are the journals she wrote and the photographs of us together, which is why I'm such a big proponent of getting in the frame with our littles. We owe it to our kids and ourselves to capture the memories, the love, the everyday moments of our families.
Motherhood Without a Mom
I turned 37 this year, an age my mom never got to turn. She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 33, and after a brutal three-year battle with the disease, we lost her at 36. I was nine and my sister was five.
Growing up, I always knew my mom died young. Yet, there was something profound about turning the age she was when she died. I realized just how young she was. How fearful she must have been. How much she must have thought about her babies growing up without her. How much she must have needed and appreciated her own mom, who came to help for months at a time while she was sick.
When I turned 36, I decided I would dedicate my year to her, the year she didn't get to finish. I promised myself that I would do my best to live in the present, in a place of gratitude, and I would never begrudge turning another year older. I'll get in the frame with my kids, no matter if I haven't showered or done my makeup. I'll document our family's everyday moments, and get down on the ground to play with my kids as long as they will let me.
And Now, I Blog
It's taken me a while to warm up to the idea of putting my words and images onto the screen. Yet, I kept writing in my head, and finally decided that, in my quest to be more mindful, more present, and more alive in my daily life, particularly in my role as a mama, the process of creating this would bring me closer to the life I want to live.
So, that's me and why I'm here. I hope this can grow into a space that gives light and honor to the work we do as moms.
I love this image of a recent snowy day in the park because my son was helping his sister carry her sled. A simple moment of kindness.