Friday, October 16, 2009

This is what happens when you let other people take care of your children

This is my new favorite photo of Jack. I don't even know who took it. But that person, whoever they are, hangs out with Jack almost every week because Sam goes to a mom's group with the boys on Fridays and they apparently have so much fun. And somebody took this beautiful picture, that I should have to pay money for, but it just showed up in my inbox, forwarded on by Sam.8323464_b5159d3970_o

But perhaps you prefer a smiling Jack.  My mystery photographer sent one of those, too.

8323431_5e4edb6ab3_o

It seems strange to have this voyeuristic feeling about my own child, at least when he's still too young to have his own life. But I look at these and wonder, what was he thinking about right then? What happened next? It's funny, but when I've been away from him all day, I don't really think about what he was doing while I was gone. I'm just happy to see him, I guess. But seeing these photos, as evidence that he did things, contemplated his surroundings, enjoyed life without me, it's kind of... well, I don't really have a word for it. Bittersweet, but not really. Interesting. Unique. A little bit surreal.

1 comment:

Alison said...

Wow, yeah, that must be a little weird. I can see exactly what you mean. In that bottom picture you want to ask, "What made you so happy just then?" Does it kill you not to know? It's the same way when they go off to school. You desperately want to know what they spent their time doing, but they don't feel like telling you, so you know that they have their own life with things happening, and you have no idea what they were. They are their own person. It's hard to accept that, huh?