Few things in my life make me happier than watching my children love each other. It is hard to get a photo of, though, as their love is often shown in their play, in their pajamas, with Scooby Doo in the background on the TV.
I believe my children are beautiful. Doesn't every parent? But the beauty I see in the love between them is something I have longed to savor, even more than their sweet toddler faces.
I have not taken my children out for photos since our photo shoot for Lakes Magazine in September. When I took them out in the cold on Thursday morning, I had no idea what they would do. I expected some whining, even after prepping them and telling them they would be rewarded with doughnuts.
I was wrong.
There was no whining. There were very few words. I set them where I wanted them and my daughter stood still, her eyes saying everything. That she was cold, but that she wanted that doughnut. She hugged her doll close.
I backed up.
My son saw her, and approached her, and wrapped his four year old arms around her, keeping her warm, kissing her on her fluffy strawberry blond head.
In that cold field, a light dusting of snow falling from the sky, my heart melted like it does every day, when he sets himself aside for her. There out in the cold, they gave me the only gift I could have asked for this season: a memory of the bond between them.
As a mommy, I often think, "How could I ask for more than this?"
And as a photographer, all that matters to me is holding on to the things that make me think that.
After my son held her, I saw something else in my daughter's eyes. She was still cold. She still wanted that doughnut. But I saw a spark of warmth. I saw that she felt safe and loved.
And I never have to forget.
