I got an email today from a friend that made mention that the age of *three* wasn't really all that she had hoped. In other words, perhaps the "terrible twos" had caught her daughter on the late end of things. And at dinner the other night, two different friends mentioned more of the same. I recall one saying, "I hate *three*!" and another called her daughter a monster. Hmm. I just sat and listened. I know what they meant. I've been there. I've had monsters rearing their ugly heads around here time and again. I know what that's like. I can recall being so stressed out dealing day in and day out with my "spirited child" (isn't that the PC title for a kid who is a pill?) and venting to these same moms about my struggles with a child I had no idea how to parent and they would kind of nod and attempt to feel my pain. I had this sinking feeling that they really had no idea how "difficult" my child was for me to handle. Although they would interject with their own versions of hell on the home-front, it never seemed as extreme as what I was going through. And I can pretty much tell you straight out now, it wasn't.
Ah ha! But, I'm here to say (and I should so be knocking on wood right now) that *three* has been a pretty good year for us so far. And I swear, I'm not just saying that because school has started. Really, things have been good. We've been through some pretty intense challenges between us, my feisty Gemini and I, but we are coming out the other side and things are looking up. Or perhaps it's me that's looking up. Maybe I understand her better now that we've had a few more years together. Maybe I'm seeing her for who she is now. Recognizing her strengths, not her weaknesses, her passion not her defiance, her intensity not her stubbornness. And maybe now she knows that I am trying with everything I have, not to misunderstand her, but to be the best mother I can be to a child who continues to baffle me. I have been trying and the Toddler Universe seems to be supporting me. And I believe somehow that she too is trying and that I suppose, is how we are graciously meeting in the middle.
So, what's all that got to do with photography? Well, not a lot except it got me thinking about how much a photograph can capture the personalities of our kids. I have been taking tons of photos of her lately and getting some of the greatest stuff. She's so funny and animated, and vibrant. So, full of life. Not every photo can do it, but it's those chosen few that have been taken at just that right moment in time, with just the right intangible something that perfectly shows who she is, in all her glory. You know. You have those shots of your kids too. Where they are beaming, glowing, shining bright, as only they can. They are those photos that make your heart stop. The ones that take your breath away. No one else may notice it, but you do, and you see your child as the most incredible creature on this earth. That's how I am feeling tonight and it's a fantastic place to be.
Very well stated. Sometimes I'll look at one of those pictures--those that show the true spirit of my children--when they're at their most difficult. It helps. I took some just tonight that are nearly perfect.
Posted by: Alissa | 09/21/2006 at 07:50 PM
Share them with us Alissa! Give us a link to where they are. : )
Posted by: tracey | 09/22/2006 at 08:39 AM
She looks just like you. Pretty girl!
Posted by: Lori | 09/22/2006 at 10:21 AM
IRIS! What a beautiful picture of her.
Posted by: Claddyjack | 09/22/2006 at 02:03 PM
I liked your blog. It is so true how we look at things can determine how thing "seem". Also you can look at life in a positive way or a negative way. It all depends on how we "see" it.
Posted by: Kimberly C. | 09/22/2006 at 05:30 PM
Check here. They're all jumbled up, but you'll know them when you see them. I put some in the Picture This photo group, too...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaspics/
Posted by: Alissa | 09/23/2006 at 12:21 PM