Seasons of Life: Not Perfect, but Priceless

My son once asked me what my favorite age was. I told him honestly that it was the stage they were at right then. Not every season of life is perfect, but each stage and season is priceless.

Not perfect but priceless

Whether you are in the early stages of mommyhood where you never sleep because of diaper changes and nighttime feedings, the middle stages where teenagers are being transported from one activity to the next or in the older years where you are retired and juggling grandkids or volunteer opportunities – each stage of life is filled with new opportunities for growth and memories.

Seasons of Life: Not Perfect but Priceless

Enjoy the moment:

My 96 year old grandma recently told me this, “the days are long; the years are short!” With each passing year I realize she is right. When I was in the period of life with three children under 5, the days were indeed long. Sometimes it seemed forever till it would be time to tuck the kids in bed and finally get some sleep. Before I noticed it was happening, I now realize that my son is heading to high school. Each moment of life is filled with priceless memories. We need to live in the moment and capture each memory.

Because time does pass quickly and things are always changing, I am very careful to take lots of pictures. And not just pictures OF the kids, but pictures WITH the kids. Take a minute and look at your recent pictures. Are you in the pictures or are you taking them? It doesn’t matter whether we love the wrinkles, the extra weight or the outfit, we need to make sure that we are in the pictures with our family and friends.

Exploring Frankfort Kentucky

If you are with me on an adventure, you will probably see me insist on getting in at least one picture. I call this my ‘proof of presence’ photo. I want my family to be able to look back at the pictures and see that I was present in their adventures.

And yes…. selfies sometimes work in a pinch! I want to capture the times we are out making memories, so even though I’m not a huge fan of selfies personally, sometimes they are just the right option!

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Not perfect but Priceless

Embrace the imperfections:

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always like the pictures that I am in. There are times my hair is a mess, the light is too bright, my eyes are squinting or the angle is just unflattering. But that is part of life. These pictures may not be perfect, but they are moments that are priceless. That is why I’m starting to use the hashtag #notperfectbutpriceless. Life is not always perfect, but in all honesty, the moments we live and memories we make with our family are truly priceless.

dad and sharon

I love this picture of me and my Mom from a few years back. It’s definitely not perfect, but I love it!

sharon-and-ritchie

Seasons vary around the world:

Have you ever noticed that you may be enjoying sunshine in Kentucky while Texas is flooded with rain? Alaska may have snow at the same time Florida is having beach front fun. It’s the same thing in our lives. We may be dealing with painful situations, job loss or family issues while other people may have a brand new job, new baby or new house. When you look at someone’s social media news feed, don’t make the mistake of thinking that their life is perfect. Think of social media as the best of the best – the highlights of their life. Enjoy their good times but realize that they are just posting the highlights!

crowne-plaza

We have only to turn on the news or look in the mirror to realize that life is full of bad news and imperfections. Life is not always perfect. But our time with family and friends as well as the memories we are making are the things that make life so special. Let’s make a decision as a collective group of readers to enjoy the seasons of life and embrace the not so perfect moments. If you post a picture on social media, feel free to include the hashtag #notperfectbutpriceless so we can all enjoy them with you!

This article first appeared in the print edition of the Advocate Messenger, Danville, KY 6/19/16.

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