If I could go back in time..

A friend recently asked me if I could go back and live any part of my life again, what part would it be?

Any parent who is reading this won’t be surprised that my answer was that I’d like to go back to the time when my kids were little. It wasn’t an easy time--messes everywhere, constant noise, constantly rushing from one place to another, never having time alone. Parents of young children know that life with little ones can be challenging--and exhausting! But there’s also so much joy.

I miss the funny questions my kids (who are now 17 and 19 years old) would ask. The hilarious expressions on their faces when they tried something new. I miss how they’d wrap their tiny hands around my fingers. I miss the laughter--even the noise! I miss their sticky toddler kisses. 

I may not be able to go back in time and experience it all again, but as I walk through my house, I am surrounded by these memories. I marvel at how quickly time has passed and I am so glad that I took the time to capture many portraits of them as they grew. 

When it comes to the necessities of day-to-day life, art is a luxury item. It doesn’t put food on the table or keep you dry when it rains. It doesn’t keep your body healthy and strong or heal you when you’re sick. 

It’s not essential to survival.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not meaningful and important. 

We want portraits of our families because they remind us of how blessed we’ve been. They remind us of the happiest times of our lives, and that can lift our spirits on the darkest of days. You could hang anything on your walls, but having those really special portraits and paintings of your loved ones highlights just how beautiful your life has been, how full of joy and beauty.  

You may not NEED art in your life. But, looking back, I would have absolutely sacrificed a few meals out or cut back on my spending however I could to get them made because they mean so much to me. I think they’ll mean even more to me as time goes by, too. 

I love that I can help families create their own family heirlooms that preserve their most precious memories, too, from the toddler years until the kids are ready to leave the nest. I love to watch the kids grow and change through the years. I love capturing those little personalities as the develop. The looks on the parents' faces as they see their little ones' expressions captured. 

It's hard going from one phase of life to another, but knowing you'll always have a little piece to remind you of the best times makes it all that much easier.