As I write this- it’s the quiet part of Winter.  That part when the holidays have passed, New Year’s lists and plans have been made and the days are just short and cold and if you’re not careful they’ll blend into each other with little more than a punctuation of the read hearts of Valentines Day and the Green Shamrocks of St. Paddys –

And here, on the edge of the second month of this Book of 12 chapters- I realize, unless I’m very intentional about being present, this season’s stories will pass untold- because I’ve been lulled into thinking they are unremarkable. Not worthy of remarking upon- not in words, not in photos.

And that’s pretty easy, isn’t it? Especially when most Winter days are spent inside- each day seems just like the one before- until- at some point you stop, turn around and realize how much everything has changed. 

So, how do you recognize the magic you want to bottle when it does not seem all that special at all?

It’s all magic.

• the cluttered dining room table
• the faces around your dining room table,
• the  group around the flickering television tonight
• the routines of morning, afternoon and evening

Looking back at some of the photos I have taken over the years- this group is bookmarked as some of my favorites. Not one of them is what I’d consider a “good” photo.  Not one is worthy of standing alone in a frame on my mantle-

But together- they tell the story of our days one week in 2008.  The moments were as simple as getting dressed, breakfast, mail delivery, naps, play time, homework, video games, and daddy coming home.  This was the beat of our days, day after days for months-

and then it wasn’t.

A new beautiful rhythm played on- but that does not diminish the magic of these days. And I’m so glad I captured them.

In just 364 days, the seemingly uneventful routines of our lives will all have changed.  In one way or another- life will march on and this season will not look the same as it does now ever again.

So, take the photos of the beautiful mess of life. Look around you and capture it.  Push pause with your photos. Put your phone camera on silent, and for just a few days, capture the photos of everything that bores you. The things that frustrate you- and the things that make you smile. These moments matter. And their value only increases with time.

“Be happy for this moment, for this moment is your life.” Omar Khayyam