Project Selfie

It’s no secret, I hate selfies.

I have to take about twelve before I find one that I’m remotely presentable in enough to post, and that got me thinking.

I am a mother of three and even my youngest does it. I’ll log onto my phone and see a dozen snapshots of his beautiful self. It’s a phenomenon that will not go away anytime soon. They’re here to stay. One can go browse anywhere on social media and see walls of beautiful, corky, sexy or silly selfies.

I love it.

That is until I post mine.

My selfies always come out awkward. My chins, yes I said chins, always make a special appearance and I look uncomfortable.

Why?

Because I am.

I’m not a selfie queen unlike some of you. I’ve come to accept that, but there is only one problem.

I’m non-existent.

I look through my kids photos, most are all selfies now. Some with friends, some with family, and none with me.

See, non-existent.

At least when it comes to the visual sense, and let’s be honest, memories are forever captured in photos.

How did this happen?

I’ve let my self-consciousness get in the way of what very well could be an important memory. My kids have very little photos with me, whether it be a selfie or not.

I’m always taking them.

I’m the one avoiding them and in return, I’m left out of the memory captured.

When my kids look at a picture twenty years from now, what will they see?

Not me. I’m not pictured, but I’m there.

They’re not going to remember I was on the side avoiding it. They’re going to see the people pictured.

That got me thinking.

I need my children to see my selfie, whether it’s flattering or not. I want them to remember the good times, not only when I looked presentable.

I lost my twin sister back in 2011, and I am fortunate that she loved the camera. She took so many selfies and pictures that she will always be memorialized not only in our thoughts, but by the visual that the photos caught and sealed in time. I will cherish every photo of my loved ones that I lost.

I realize now, I don’t have that.

So what am I going to do about it?

From this point, I pledge not to run away from the flash of the camera when my children want to take them. I pledge not miss out on these memories. I pledge to step away from taking the photos and join in. I pledge to cherish each photo, chins and all.

How about you?

Will your friends and family have those memories?

Don’t be non-existent.

Love yourself and smile.

And show the world your selfie.

Until next time, my loves

Tyler