Years ago, shortly before Madison was born, Steve and I purchased our very first camcorder. It was large and bulky and came in a big black bag. Every once in a while, we lugged it out and taped our sweet new baby playing or crawling or smiling. As the years passed, we added new members to our family, and we continued to use the camcorder to record the special and sometimes ordinary events of our lives.
Gradually, as the children grew and we realized how very quickly the years passed, we videotaped less and less. One Christmas morning, Steve told me he would rather not tape the children as they ran into the family room, saw their piles of gifts from Santa, and jumped with delight. He wanted to actually see it as it unfolded, not from behind the lens of a video camera. We both realized that although videotaped memories are wonderful to have, being present in the moment is so much more special and much more important to us.
You see, when a person experiences something from behind a camera or from behind a phone, he or she misses the beauty and magic of actually experiencing the moment and becomes instead a spectator, merely observing, removed by the presence of a piece of technology. One cannot help but be distracted and less able to participate in the moment. Time passes quickly and children grow before your eyes. The temptation to record and document every single moment is real, especially in this age of Instagram, Facebook, and other numerous social media outlets that constantly reward users for sharing pictures and videos of everyday lives.
If I could give advice to young mothers possibly reading this little blog, I would encourage them to live in those blessed, precious moments of childhood with their children. The moments that make our lives are the ones that are spontaneous and unedited. The best moments are the ones that just happen, without a camera in our child's face, creating a barrier between us. Enjoy the random giggles, the messy faces, the cozy snuggles. These moments are made just for you and your children. You can tuck them in your heart, and know they are safe there forever.
Please do not feel that because everyone else seems to be filming and posting and liking and sharing, you have to as well. You can choose to put the phone down and devote your time to being with your children. It really is ok! I promise! In fact, it is better than ok. The moments you share with your child are irreplaceable gifts. Once they are gone, you cannot get them back. Be there. Be with your children. Enjoy the moments. You will never regret it. Promise.
We have several little cassettes, all dated and numbered, in a box on the shelf in our storage area. Every now and again, we pull them out, put them in a converter, and play them in our old VCR. I know, soon we will have to convert them to DVD or Blu-ray or whatever comes next, but for now, we keep them as they are. It is nice to have those little moments documented. But it is even nicer to have the memories in our hearts.
