I’ve been pulled in so many directions lately when it comes to social media, sharing, and even photographing my own family. The part of me that loves preserving memories is at war with the part of me that feels frustrated by the part of me that just wants to be in the moment enjoying my family. It’s such a battle these days, folks. My camera is getting dusty (well not really because well, sessions and weddings and all.) But clearly the days of the 365 project are long over for me. I just don’t have it in me anymore.
I’ve not even been posting cell phone images to my personal Facebook or Instagram lately (sorry to the grandmas) and it’s not really because I don’t want to share anymore… although that is partly true. It is more than that. I’m just not in a place that I even feel like taking pictures much anymore.
But I also know myself. I know that I’ll regret not having their photos. And that I don’t regret my former shutter happy phases one bit. And although I’m feeling called to be in the moment more, for my own sake I need to be in the moment with my camera on occasion.
So. In the name of making myself accountable… a new project. Not a 365. Not a group project (although I’ve LOVED my time with Cherish This Day which sadly has ran its course and will someday soon disappear from the inter webs.) A truly personal project. I’m not good at schedules and weekly posts, but I’m going to give it a go. I can promise you that some weeks it will be one photo. Some weeks it will be posted on Saturday (or even the following Monday) and some weeks I’m going to skip posting entirely. But I WILL commit to having my camera pointed at my family at least once a week. I can do that much.
Anyway – Taughannock.
This time last year, we were still in Kentucky. We were busy making final arrangements for our big move, but we were still technically living in the Bluegrass. I was so excited for all the outdoor possibilities up here in the Finger Lakes Region, though. The hikes, the falls, the lakes. The opportunity to get out and see a new part of the world.
Fast forward a year. Life gets in the way, we are busy. We haven’t slept in a tent at all this year (first time we didn’t go camping at all in a season since we were newlyweds.) Hikes were scarce because time was scarce. Part of this phase I guess.
But the boy and I had a weekend alone and without anything to do for a few hours. It was threatening heavy rain, and we had intended to go to a different park, but the storms drove us further east. We ended up down at Taughannock with less than two hours before twilight. We checked out the trail map and started hiking, hoping that we could make it around the rim trail before dark, knowing that we might have to turn around and abandon our trip at the halfway time mark if we couldn’t make the halfway hike mark yet. We booked it up the hill. I like to hike fast. Good thing Alex does too. We made it back to the car just as the rain hit, with the sky darkening quickly.
I can’t tell you how good it was to have one-on-one time with my oldest. It rarely happens. Usually if he’s split off from the other two, it’s the littles with me and Alex with dad. Just how things tend to be. But during the hike and the whole way home, he kept thanking me for taking him out, just me and him. It was good for both of us.
This age is tough. He’s too cool to hug me in front of his friends now. I might get a fist bump. Maybe. But for a couple hours in the damp woods, we connected.
