Picture Day
The Laugh
A picture is worth a thousand words, or so they say. Recent family photos have my family appearing coordinated, well put together and happy. Now, we are happy, but the story not told by the photo is that on any given day there is chaos brewing and/or raging at my house. Family photo day was no exception. I wonder if your house is the same. I am taking a not so giant leap here and assuming that your answer is a yes, and that what this blog is about – the “shit” that happens not only at my house, but everyone else’s house too. The bedlam, the mistakes, the sides of our lives that are less than shiny and far from perfect. The stuff we sometimes work hard at covering up or masking from others. However, it is these moments of raw humanity, of pure humanness, that I think have the potential to connect us and make us laugh – at ourselves and each other. So, below I share the “staged” family photos that we present to the world that make it appear as though we have our “shit” together and the real story that demonstrates the photo is far from the truth.
We had family photos taken as Christmas gifts to the girl’s grandparents, our kids are aged seven and nine. Three hours before I had no idea what we were wearing. Two hours before we decide to wear sweaters and toques, so we were digging through winter clothing bins trying to find coordinated toques and mittens. 90 minutes before we realized one of the kid’s white sweaters was dirty, so I threw it in the wash. 60 minutes before the eldest child starts complaining that, “this is stupid.” We read kids the riot act, talk about the gifts the photos represent, then bribe them with the promise of hot chocolate, popcorn, and a movie if they are polite and smile properly. 45 minutes before our youngest child is screaming and crying as I brush her hair in an attempt to have it look moderately tidy. I do some yelling here too – not a proud moment. 30 min before I realize that the oldest child’s sweater is still in the wash – not in the dryer. I put it in the dryer on high praying a) that it dries in time and b) it doesn’t shrink. 15 minutes before I get myself dressed and the photographer arrives. We go outside to take photos; we walk to the end of our driveway. The dog runs through the wireless fence as she tries to follow us and gets shocked. She is now super freaked out and the session is delayed as we return her to our yard and comfort both the dog and the kids.
The photo shoot proceeds, we get some lovely photos. We look like a coordinated, well put together family. In truth, we are like a cat in the air – you know it will stick the landing and always land on its feet but as you watch it fall, you are sure it is never going to make it.
The Lesson
Our imperfections build character - this is celebrated in the Japanese art form called Kintsugi - our flaws are gifts, not shames to be hidden
The Iteration (i.e., how to make it better next time)
Google “stress free family photos” for advice on preparing your family members, picking your outfits and location and determining the photos you want to capture - remember to have fun too!