A few nights ago he grabbed my iPad, which was open to Facebook, and said "I want to see me." He started to scroll through my albums and while there were definitely captures of him sprinkled throughout the current years it wasn't until he made it a few years back that he really found an abundance of photographs.
This December he turns 10 and as he grows his relationship with my camera continues to change. No sugar coating here, it is harder to capture him as he grows. But here is the thing, I won't be stopping anytime soon and if anything my resolve, my vigilance, in capturing him is only growing stronger.
Why bother? Why not turn my camera to my easier subjects? Because it matters. Because despite his resistance to my camera at times he is sitting here telling me "I want to see me."
I hear you.
As I came out of Travis' room last night I saw that he was still up reading, ahem way past bedtime, but I saw a perfect opportunity for some one on one time with him. As we were snuggling and talking I knew this was the right time to pitch my big idea. He was going to either love it or hate it.
When Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933 he pioneered "The First Hundred Days" concept for gauging presidential effectiveness. Since then you've seen it adapted in so many ways "100 Days of Summer" , "100 Days of Joy", "100 Days of Real Food".
Last night I proposed "100 Days of Garrett". It's a concept that's been brewing in my mind and heart for a good six months and like all of my crazy ideas even vetted with my dear friend Amy. But it wasn't until this week, until his request to be seen, that I committed to the project and shared it with him.
He loved it. I could hear the wonder in his voice. I could hear the excitement. I could hear the validation. She sees me.....
Starting on his 10th birthday I will be purposefully capturing him throughout the year. The goal is to finish the project with 100 images, 100 stories to be bound together in hard cover coffee table book. The hope is that I have more than 100 images, more than 100 stories because I will be looking at him with new eyes.
He could have loved or hated the idea and I'm so thankful he loved it. He already started brainstorming special days he wanted captured.
Why 100 days throughout the year? Why not 100 consecutive days? Because I'm realistic. He's not going to be into the project every day and I want us to have the flexibility built in so we both enjoy this. I want to experience his full year which I feel may be a pivotal one. I already see so much change in him with 4th grade.
I am so excited for this adventure he and I are going to have and can't wait for December 9th to come around.
The image above is my contribution to Cherish This Day, see the full post of the collaborative here.