"Many scrapbookers knew Aleida Franklin. She was a wonderful wife and mother and a brilliant artist. I didn’t know Aleida personally, but she taught me something I will never forget.
She emailed me last year to tell me she loved my blog and to ask if I liked my short hair-cut. This lead to a series of emails which eventually led me to remark that I really loved how often she posted pictures of herself with her children on her blog. And she replied to me, “Have you ever seen a photograph of your own mother and thought to yourself how fat she looked? Or how she wasn’t wearing make-up? Or wasn’t dressed in a glamorous outfit?” Of course my answer was no.
She then responded with saying that she made it a goal to take a picture of herself with her children at least once every month. And that to use excuses about how we look, as women, is ridiculous, since our children will never care what we looked like, but only that we had physical evidence of the bond between mother and child.
Aleida tragically and unexpectedly passed away in an auto accident in September of 2008, leaving 2 small children and a grieving husband. After she passed I thought of how those children must feel to have those precious photographs. I have made it my personal goal to follow her wise suggestion and I try to take photos of myself with my children….double chins, make-up free, bed-head and all.
I invite Mothers everywhere to take Aleida’s Challenge. To photograph yourself with your children each and every month. And to post them here so that we can see Aleida’s legacy unfolding"
I was so moved by this story and can't get it out of my head, especially on the heels of Mother's Day. So I decided that I would accept this challenge and pass it on to all of you moms out there.
So here are some recent pics of me with my kids (and in honor of the challenge, I'm not wearing makeup in all of them!).
I'm sure we all wish we had more pictures of ourselves with our own mothers. Lets bombard our children with pictures of us! I invite you to take this challenge and by all means, get your camera out and start capturing those moments! (Did you see I've even resorted to self-portraits where someone's head usually gets cut off. But hey, you do what you gotta do, right?!).
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I couldn't stop thinking about the project either - so inspiring. Great job posting pics of you with your kids, even without makeup! Mandy, www.craftedition.blogspot.com
ReplyDeletewow- this brought me to tears. i am always the family photographer whenever we go anywhere and i am rarely in the pictures. last year on vacation at the beach i had to ask my husband to take a picture of me and the kids. i told him i worried that something would happen to me like it did to aleida, and what then? my kids would have no pics to remember me by or see how much i really loved them. the thought of that breaks my heart. there is a reason for everything, and it is so wonderful that she had so many pictures of herself with her kids so they can cherish those memories and easily remember what she looked like and how she was with them. anyhow, crying while i am typing so i need to stop!!!! and by the way, you look wonderful without makeup and have nothing to fear! ;) your kids are adorable, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking out my bedroom makeover at Remodelaholic :-) The wallpaper really has become the focal point of the room, and it's added pattern that the room was lacking before. I love it, and wish I'd done it sooner!!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I don't think I have many pictures of me with my mom. Hmmmm..... wish we'd been a more snap-happy family, because my mom is gone now and it would be so nice to have pics of the two of us together.
Aleida was a smart lady -- how true that it doesn't matter if we're having a bad hair day or we're wearing an old T-shirt or we don't have makeup on. The best pictures are the ones that are spur-of-the moment and unplanned, and where we aren't worried about looking perfect :-)
Kelly @ DesignTies
Wow! What an excellent reality check and perspective switch!!! Thank you for posting! I will be taking up Aleida's Challenge.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.inspired2cook.com/
GREAT idea......thanks for the reminder!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing and linking up to I'm Lovin' It! Have a GREAT weekend!
Absolutely beautiful. Oh, thank you SO much for posting this. I needed to heart this. Bless you!
ReplyDeleteLots of love,
Laura
I agree....thanks for such a wonderufl challenge...my children are all grown.... and I find myself saying oh don't take of picture with me it in...That changes today.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Visiting from The Girl Creative. Thank you for sharing such a neat story- I love the idea of taking this challenge! I also have two small kids so lots of what I'm seeing here rings a bell for me! :)
ReplyDeleteFunny how we look back at our pictures and then, hmmm what was i thinking? but you are right, our kiddos will not look at that. I remember in the movie Beaches how that one character, not bette midler but the other chick, kept looking for a picture of her mom's hands. She had to see her mom's hands. Ironic, because your post lends to that. Children will not even see our "flaws", they just will remember the good times and the time we put into them.
ReplyDeleteSo true! I don't really get into a lot of pictures with my children unless someone else takes them. Thank you for this reminder!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
Sherry
Oh, this is such a moving story. Thanks for inviting me over to your blog. I'd love it if you'd link this up to my linky party. It will be up all weekend.
ReplyDeletebecca-homeiswheremystorybegins@blogspot.com
Becca