Doing the Posterity Thing

The kids have asked many times, "What are you doing?" when I text Jim the funny things they say...especially when he's sitting right next to me.  One time we answered, "We're texting your posterity," and it's been a joke ever since.  It's what we always tell them now.  The funny thing about a joke is that there is often some truth in it.  We often talk about 'doing the posterity thing' now and we really 'do the posterity thing' with every blog post and journal entry.   

 

A friend recently shared a blog post about someone who decided it was time to allow herself to be in pictures.  I don't remember who shared it or who wrote it, but it stuck with me a little bit.  The gal who wrote it was overweight and so self conscious that she always stayed behind the camera.  I know a lot of women (myself included) who can relate.  She was always promising herself that when she shed the weight she'd have pictures taken.  Then she was looking through old family photographs and realized there were very few of her own mother for that same reason.  She was sad by this and wished there were more pictures of the mother she loved.  That's when she decided it was time to allow herself to be in pictures, overweight or not.

 

I've thought about this as I've used facebook and blogger.  I always love seeing my family and friends.  Their physical imperfections have no bearing on my love.  When they are far away, I'm thrilled when they post pictures of themselves because I get to see them.  I don't see chubby waistlines and double chins.  I see smiles and the people I love shining through their eyes.

 

As a child I remember being so thrilled with the few pictures we had of my mom when she was my age.  Now I like to see pictures of my parents from when they were young parents like myself.  I love seeing what they were like from my new sympathetic adult perspective.  I wish there were more pictures of my mom especially. 

 

Now as a mother of four children I am guilty of hiding behind the camera, or behind the children if I must be in a picture.  I'm even known to suddenly grab a child if I see a camera pointed in my direction.  I'm constantly promising myself that when I shed X amount of pounds I'll pose for pictures.  I've been self conscious since I was ten years old thanks to this aspect of our culture. 

 

A few days ago I was thinking about cutting my hair, which led to thinking about taking a picture of it long (for Jim), which led to thinking about this.  (Jim is now cringing to know I'm approaching the yearly hair chop.)  I decided to step outside my comfort zone and allow the kids to take pictures of me...all of me.  Yikes!  They took the pictures and then I chickened out.  After several days of reminding myself that my family and friends love me, and that my children will want these pictures in years to come, I decided to 'do the posterity thing' after all.

 

Here it is folks.  This is me at 31 years old, post baby times four.  This is the momma that my children love and spend all day with.  This is the imperfect woman who struggles every day to manage those same four little people.  This is the gal who is being brave, even though she knows she should have nothing to fear.

And this is the picture I was tempted to post without the other one because it hides everything I don't think I want to show the world.

Is anyone else brave enough to 'do the posterity thing'?