I hate being in pictures. When I see pictures of myself, I nitpick. I don’t like the angle, or the way my nose looks, or notice I look too fat, or my smile is too gummy… The list is endless. I am so self-conscious and consumed with how I look that I avoid being in pictures. It’s not just about how I see me. It’s also about how I think others will perceive me. They will realize I am flawed and imperfect.

When your goal is only about showing the perfect image of yourself, you realize they are far and few between. Before you know it, years go by and there are only a handful of pictures of you, if at all. I’m pretty sure there’s a span of 5+ years where there are less than half a dozen pictures of me.

When your goal is only about showing the perfect image of yourself, you realize they are far and few between. Before you know it, years go by and there are only a handful of pictures of you, if at all.

As a mom, I am realizing that when my kids look at me, they don’t see the flaws. They don’t notice all the things I am self-conscious or insecure about. When they look at me, they see mom. They see the person who loves them, packs their lunches, and picks them up at school. They see the person they come crying to when they are hurt or sad. They see me and they see love. When my children look at pictures of me, that’s what they see.

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