Welcome to month five of the Life Stories special. The Life Stories Project is a project that myself and 20+ other photographers have undertaken. Each month, we will step outside of our business boxes and photograph a story for ourselves. Be it our own families, landscapes, nature or whatever speaks to the individual photographer. We will each tell our story through our photographs and we will each link to another photographer who is participating in this project. Please join us as we use our cameras to tell our stories, we’d love to have you come along.
My oldest turned six two days ago.
Her birthday always takes me by surprise – “how can she possibly be another year older?” “how can another year have gone by so quickly?” My fondest wish is to make each day last twice as long as it does… I don’t want to freeze time, not really. I just want to slow it down. Slow it down so that I can try even harder not to miss a moment of her…
She loves this dress. I got it for her for her birthday last year and it was too big. She wore it anyway and loved every second of it. I told her she could wear it again for this birthday – that maybe it would fit this year. It’s still a little bit big, but fits much better than it did last year, proof that my wish to slow down time isn’t working the way I hoped it would…
Her favorite things when she was five: reading books and meeting dogs and going to ballet class. Eating spaghetti with butter and having sleepovers at grandma’s house. Building fairy houses. Always having “mouse friend” at her side.
Just like each of her years before – five was beautiful. I wish it could have lasted longer…
But now she is six.
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And, much like five, I know six will go by too quickly and that her next birthday will take me by surprise… I think that is what motherhood is. Loving someone so much you want each day to last forever but also wanting the days to go by so that you can continue to know the amazing person your child becomes…
My wish for her, my darling six year old, is simple. I wish her happiness. Always.
And, my wish for me, it doesn’t change. I wish for time to slow down.
That is my story this month.
For another story, told through photographs, visit my friend and fellow photographer, Taryn of Taryn Lisa Photography.
Until next time,
Nicole
