So I’m egotistical and self-centered. But sometimes I really want a decent picture of myself. Maybe with the hubby. Maybe with the kids. Maybe with just one of my kids. Or with my mom. The last decent picture I had with my mother was just over 10 years ago, standing in front of the NYC Baha’i Center at a holy day celebration. Since then, the pictures are always from far away, at a weird angle, and definitely less than flattering for all parties involved.
Maybe it has something to do with who’s been taking the pictures. Recently my middle son, Paolo (5), lost his two bottom teeth. I got out the camera, remembering that I had done this with my oldest child Council (7), when she lost her first tooth, and I snapped a couple of photos of him mugging with his jaw jutting out.
Then Council wanted in on the action so I took a shot of her grinning.
I decided to take advantage of the situation and had Council take a couple pictures of Paolo and me, then Vigil (4) and Paolo and me. The pictures actually didn’t turn out all that badly. Still—I wonder why they’re not better, and I have to remind myself that I’m relying on a 7-year-old in certain cases.
Pictures of myself remind me that time is passing, that I am getting older, that my kids are getting older, and usually this is a good thing. I would hate to be getting younger—imagine. I like looking back at old photos with my husband and saying, “Wow, remember when they were all in diapers, and we never got a date, and we were lucky to sleep 3 hours in succession?” It feels like we’ve come a long way. Now my husband can actually get to work. And stay there. For the whole day.
When we first moved into our new home last summer I remember relishing this—his leaving for work—and marking the occasion with a photo. But when I experience some kind of triumph, often of the parenting or home-making variety (a child picked up on time, a dish successfully completed, four loads of laundry processed, a major child battle peacefully resolved)—there’s not anyone around to take the pictures.
Guess I’ll be relying on my daughter more often.