Technology is absolutely amazing. The fact that kids who are born today have endless photos of themselves, their activities, their accomplishments and even just the random funny moments that you would otherwise forget had happened—it all is just amazing to me. Most of my friends’ kids even have their own hashtag—like, what?!
We all have a cell phone in our hand at any given minute, and scrapbooks like my mom used to spend hours on are now obsolete because you have more memories in your handheld device than you could ever put in a perfectly decorated photo-book.
Our ability to snap a photo is literally easier than snapping your fingers.
It’s fun to look back and see pictures of kiddos growing up, and playing with dad. But through all of those years of kids changing and growing, mom is changing and growing too.
Mommy-blogger Cyndy Gatgewood realized she wants those moments to be documented as well. The mother of three is calling on all dads this week to be better about taking the photo—even when mom feels like she shouldn’t be in front of the lens.
She wrote a letter on Facebook:
“Dear Dads,
I know you’re holding your phone right now. You probably always have your phone in your hand or at least in your pocket–we all do. Do her a favor and take more pictures.
No, not screenshots of a funny meme you just saw on Twitter.
I’m talking about pictures of her. The mother of your children. The love of your life. The one who works so hard with you to hold it all together for your precious family.
Take more pictures of her.
Cyndy Gatewood
I looked through my phone the other day and realized I have millions of pictures of my husband playing with our kids, but I never want him to take a candid picture of me. I always feel like I have to have on makeup or have a good angle because I have a social media mentality.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. We need pictures of our family that include me. I love the pictures of just my kids, and I’m so thankful for the pictures I have of my kids and my husband, but it’s so important for both of us to be in pictures with them.
Dads, if you have a wife like me, one night when she’s laying in bed reading a story to your daughter, whip out your phone and take a picture.
Without warning.
Without posing.
Just take the picture.
When she’s in the kitchen talking to your son about his day, take the picture.
If she’s rolling around on the floor with the kids or helping one with their homework, take the picture.
Time goes by so fast and everyday these sweet babies are getting older and older. Before we know it, they’ll be packing up their cars and moving off to college.
Take the picture.
One day she’ll be gone and all the kids have left of her are memories.
Take the picture.
Take the pictures to show them the love she had for them. Take the pictures so they can always remember how silly she was. Take the pictures so they can see how beautiful she was. It doesn’t matter if she’s in her pajamas and on day 4 of dry shampoo, please, take the picture.
Cyndy Gatewood
My mom passed away when I was 20 years old. All I have are pictures. I stare at the pictures of her holding me in her lap laughing at something cute I must have said. I zoom in on pictures of her hands to see if I have the same ones as I’ve gotten older.
You can’t capture things like that in a selfie.
Please, take the picture.
I know you don’t always think about it, but when you do, don’t worry about anything else and just take the picture. Your kids (and your wife) will be so grateful in the end.”
With the heartfelt post, Cyndy shares a photo of her and her daughter on the day she was born. She says it wasn’t planned, and wasn’t posed, but it was absolutely perfect. The photo is one of her “most cherished pictures.”
Cyndy Gatewood
Moms are wired to capture everything that happens in their kids’ lives. They thrive off of making memories, and reliving those days over and over in their hearts and minds. But I have to believe that dads love that too—remembering different times when everything may not have been perfect, the lighting wasn’t right, someone had a smelly diaper, but the smiles and laughter that filled the room radiate out of the frozen memory.
I think Cyndy’s onto something here. And I think it will all be totally worth it.
