Seeing the World through Different Eyes

My children own a easy-to-use film camera. Every now and then I let them go wild taking pictures. It is always a surprise to see what comes out when the film is developed. Today we were putting some of their pictures into a photo album for them to keep - this was after I refused their request to put all 100+ pictures into their scrapbooks!

I do love to look at the photos they take. Many of them are out of focus and aren't exactly well-compositioned works of art, but they let me see how they view the world. Have you ever wondered what life looks like from 3 1/2 feet off of the ground? In the pictures they take of their father and I, we look like giants - lots of leg, small heads! I also get to see what is important to them. Obviously, they take lots of pictures of their toys, but then there are more unusual items, like the cup of milk on the table, or the computer keyboard, or the magnets on the refrigerator. I burst out laughing as I came across a picture that David took of Isaac using the potty! They pay attention to the little things that I just take for granted.

Then there are the photos they take of each other. Every now and then they capture a moment of magic caught in this worldwind we call daily life. As we sorted through the photos today, there was a beautiful snapshot of Isaac peering out from behind my legs and another David took of Isaac and I snuggled up reading.

It is good to see the world through their eyes, to remind myself that my vantage point isn't the only one in this household. It helps me recall what it was like to be a child when the world seem comprised of nothing but big people's legs! Their pictures force me to acknowledge the little things that often escape my attention. Items that seem inconsequential to me have so much value to them that they want to take a picture to keep forever. I also get to see how they view our family - the two giant people and then the ones at eye level. The number of pictures of each other far outnumber the ones of us! They are brothers and they love each other and that is wonderful to see. I am so lucky to get this glimpse into their lives. I hope they wil continue to enjoy taking photographs - I look forward to seeing how their take on the world changes as they get older.