Fee's World

I love a family selfie, capturing a moment in time when we’re all together. Most of my profile pictures on social media are selfies of me with our children. It’s funny to look bacl on profile pictures, it seems my selfie game started in 2010 when I became a Mummy. It’s amazing how normal a selfie now is, seeing people take selfies are no longer an awkward affair, they’re normal. As is posing for them, setting up the shot and choosing the best of many taken

I’ve taken many over the years of me and the kids, lying in bed, breastfeeding, them sleeping, sitting on the living room floor playing, garden selfies, selfies of our holiday, festival selfies, meal out selfies, they’ve become part of our lives, but never before had a selfie ever as honestly represented a moment in time as this one has.

I only took two shots with my new fancy phone and it’s 5 megapickle backward ‘selfie’ camera, but despite Thing 1 pulling a face and Thing 2 howling, there I am in the middle smiling. It pretty much summed up the moment, a moment I wouldn’t ordinarily try and capture and it’s honesty was beautiful. And funny.

It’s an honest smile, despite what some folk think. I’m a smiley person, it’s often commented on, how I must be exhausted and life so hard yet there I am smiling. I’ve heard the sideways comments about people who wear a smile being the saddest inside and the like, too, I can only assume aimed at me, some have been more direct, no assumption needed! Like I shouldn’t be happy with my life. What they’re really saying is that they wouldn’t be happy with my life and that’s simply offensive.

Well, let me tell those people something, and anyone else for that matter, I love my life, there’s no doubt we don’t have it easy, far from it, but it is what it is. I have two children who are wonderfully unique, I love them unconditionally and they make me unbelievably happy, I have a husband who is my soul mate, my partner for life, my best friend. I have a great house, a garden, we can afford good food and good gin! What is there not to smile about? Once upon a time it seemed a real possibility that we were not going to have children and I am so happy and grateful we did. That alone is enough to make me smile until the day I die.

Thing 2 often spends periods of time crying, especially in the afternoons if she’s tired, but I would never photograph her at those times. Usually I’m holding her to soothe her while trying to interact and play with her big brother. Mostly she’s content, though. And mostly her big brother is content playing Lego or playing with his chickens.

So here I am, smiling through the madness, my favourite selfie ever.

#honestselfies #smilesmilesmile