Home / Life / Motherly Stories Dear husband: Thank you for taking the picture Photo Credit: Matthew Organ Thank you for seeing—really seeing—all the beauty in our day-to-day lives. By Christine Organ July 19, 2022 Photo Credit: Matthew Organ Rectangle My husband takes a lot of family photos. And I mean a lot. My kids and I tend to get annoyed with all this in-your-face photo-taking and video-recording. We groan and grumble. We turn away from the camera sometimes. And we tease him relentlessly. But there’s something I say far less often: thank you. Thank you for taking the picture. For taking all the pictures. Related: Dear dads: Take the picture Thank you for recording the good, bad and, yes, even the ugly. Thank you for seeing—really seeing—all the beauty in our day-to-day lives. Thank you for capturing the simple moments I have with our kids. For documenting not just the highlight reel, but the outtakes too—after all, this is where the magic is. Thank you for finding the humor amidst our “National Lampoons Family Vacation”-style road trips. For not just seeing the majestic mountains and serene lakes, but the silly faces from the backseat and looks of awe as we marvel at these wonders of the world. Thank you for recognizing that the real beauty of all these awesome places we’ve visited is the joy of experiencing them together. Photo Credit: Matthew Organ Thank you for seeing—really seeing—all the beauty in our day-to-day lives. I tend to get consumed by the to-do list, by the next big thing, by the chores that await. But you and your willingness to pull out your phone to snap a pic is a reminder to press pause. To pay attention. To notice all the really amazing things that are right in front of us. Thank you for taking photos of the bedtime stories, of the weeknight dinners, of the walks around the neighborhood, of the car ride shenanigans. Related: As a mom, I’m ‘Chief Memory Maker’—a job that is equal parts wonderful and hard Thank you for taking the time to put these moments in photo books and on our walls with large canvas prints. Thank you for recording the off-key singing of “TikTok songs.” For capturing the faces of my many moods (even if they aren’t always flattering). For reminding us of all the little moments that matter so much. Photo Credit: Matthew Organ Thank you for grabbing all these moments we consider mundane or inconsequential and holding them up to the light so that we can see them for what they really are: miracles. Thank you for all the photos that celebrate the realness of motherhood, reminders that I am more than a voice nagging our kids to pick up their socks and clean their room. Thank you for all the photos that celebrate the sibling relationship, reminders that our sons are more than fights over the remote and arguments over whose turn it is to clean the bathroom. Thank you for holding onto this magical and fleeting season of our lives so that one day when we’re old and our memories fade, we will look at these photos, sigh and say things like, “Those were the days.” We will look at these photos and declare with absolute certainty, “Wow, we had a really good life.” Related: Living in the moment: 7 ways to enjoy motherhood more by being present Thank you for grabbing all these moments we consider mundane or inconsequential and holding them up to the light so that we can see them for what they really are: miracles. Yes, I complain. I turn away from the camera. But secretly, I love that you take all these photos. When days are long and life gets hard, I look back on these photos. They are little gems of goodness that whisper, Life is good. So good. I know don’t say it enough, but thank you. I am so grateful for all these snapshots of our lives together. One day, our kids will be too. Related Stories Birth These are the best birth photos of 2021—and they’re breathtaking Baby 15 memorable photos to take for baby’s first Christmas Life All the photos I didn’t get to take this year, and the ones I took instead Categories: Motherly Stories Related articles Motherly Stories To my child, when I forget to feel lucky Updated September 3, 2024 Motherly Stories Childhood is making magic out of everyday rituals February 10, 2024 News “We need more men like you”: A stranger’s note left this dad in tears February 14, 2025 News Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell welcome baby via surrogacy—and shut down critics February 1, 2025 News Katy Perry keeps an unusual pregnancy keepsake next to iconic prop from fiancé Orlando Bloom’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ January 24, 2025