Project 52: Shot 8

A Child--Not Your Own--That is Special to You (February 20, 2016)

I had always told my mom that if I ever had a kid, I would give it to her to raise until it was ready for school at which point I would want it back. When I met my boyfriend a few years ago, his son was in pre-school. This timing did not escape my mother who pointed out that here was someone with a kid who was the perfect age for me. In the time since then, I have gotten to know this child and have witnessed first-hand how smart and sweet he is. I enjoy being around his dad and him (especially when it results in being able to cross an item off my bucket list.) Being in a relationship with someone who has a child has afforded me opportunities like the moment above and allowed me to finally come to terms with my decision to not have any children of my own.

Quite a few people have asked me about that decision. Yes, it was difficult to make at first, but making--and eventually embracing--it has led me to be a whole lot happier than I was before. One of the main factors in my decision was my relationship with my own step-dad. That alone has shown me that blood does not make one a parent. Being a teacher, one can't help but mentally compose a list of all the things one would or wouldn't do with your own kids. Being with someone who has a child has shown me how difficult it is to be a parent. For the record, the mental list still exists, but it's now tempered with the reality of all the day-to-day things that go into raising a child. I am thankful for the time I get to spend with this boy and his father and this photo only captures a small fragment of the happiness they bring me.

I'm starting to realize that this photo project is doing more than giving me a list of shots to take throughout the year: it's allowing me to capture the moments and people that are important to me.

Duh! I should have seen that coming when I first saw the list.

Project 52: Shot 1

Play (January 22, 2016)

This is the first shot of my Project 52 for 2016. I took it at an MHS girls basketball game. That Cavalier getting ready to start a play is a former student. Not just any student, mind you, but the student who showed me how to play the ukulele which eventually led to this. She was definitely one of my most memorable students during my final year in the classroom and I'm happy that I was able to start this creative challenge by capturing someone who reminded me that any time we start to do something for the first time we're not good at it, but we improve with practice and support.