No Regrets

Last year, my 'Two Little Words' were 'Play' and 'Learn'. Actually, it's supposed to be Ali Edwards' 'One Little Word' Project, but being the rebel non-conformist that I am, I chose two words. The general idea is that you choose one word that embodies what you would like to see come to fruition in your life, and focus your intentions there for the year. I chose 'Play' because I had decided I was entirely too boring and I needed to add more fun things into my life, and I wanted us to have fun as a family---get out of the day to day routines and just play together. At the end of the year, I'd say I did just o.k. with that one. We did go to the beach and on a Disney Cruise as a family, which were scores in the 'Play' column, but let's just say that my word for this year doesn't involve any cooperation from my husband in order to be successful.

I also chose 'Learn', because I wanted to focus on improving my photography---both shooting and editing. I knew nothing about my camera other than the 'Auto' mode, so I signed up for an online photography course last March (Candice Stringham's Oh, Shoot! class on jessicasprague.com). I took a couple of more classes after that (Candice's Portraiture class and Karen Russell's Photographer's Workshop), and then Photoshop and Lightroom editing workshops on Clickin' Mom's. I still have a LONG way to go, but as I look back over my pictures from a couple of years ago, I can tell that I have improved. I have made progress. I have 'Learned' a lot. I give myself a gold star for my 'Learn' project.

And I have No Regrets. I regret not one dime I have spent on classes or gear. I regret not one minute of the time I spent 'Learning'. I have preserved memories that would have been long forgotten. I have captured pieces of our lives as no else could because they haven't been here day in and day out with our family. No one else has the same perspective as me. No one else loves my husband and my children and my home more than me. And there's no one better suited to tell my 'Story' than me. Did I mention that 'Story' was my word for 2011?

One thing I know for certain after 22 years of parenting, is that you forget. You really believe, at the time, that you'll always remember those cute little things they said and did, those little expressions, those quirky mannerisms---it seems impossible that you could ever forget because it seems seared into your conscience. But you do. Trust me, you do. So, this year, I'm going to focus on telling the 'Story' of our family, because 'I Want To Remember'.

And I encourage you to be a 'Story' Keeper and a 'Story' Teller for those you love, too....because one day, you may want to 'Remember', and it would be a regretful thing to have forgotten.