How many times a day do you use you cell phone to take pictures? If you’re a new mother or father, it’s many. And as our children grow we take many more of those precious moments that won’t be repeated. We constantly keep our cell phones or cameras charged up so that we don’t miss anything.
I wonder if we realize that at the same time, our children are taking pictures of us. They’re taking pictures with their own eyes, pictures that will be remembered, re-charged, and most definitely repeated. In many ways, we’re playing the lead character in our child’s mental movie, or the subject of his personal painting about how to react to life, love, pain, or joy. And eventually, our children will show their pictures to the world in a myriad of positive, or negative. ways.
As adults though, we not only are photographed or painted or noticed by our own children, or grandchildren, but by every other child we come across—at the mall, at the grocery, at our neighbor’s house for a visit–anywhere. And if we are in the spotlight, in the media, or politics, or religion, we are particularly exposed to the eyes of children.
Their eyes are on us. They are watching. They are taking pictures.
What sort of subjects are we for those innocent cameras? Because how we personally walk through our own lives will be what they emulate, what they carry in their hearts, in their minds, and in their future actions.
Of course, that’s a lot of responsibility placed at our feet. And sometimes it’s a responsibility that we ignore, or that we slough off.
Be aware: We are the pictures–of love or hate, kindness or meanness, anger or calm, compassion or coldness, attention or neglect, disgust or respect–that our children will record and pass on to a society they will soon impact, or even create.
Our children’s eyes are on us. They are watching every move we make. They see how we walk through life.
They are taking pictures.
What are we showing them?
Translating a World on the Edge 