A "Week In The Life" Is Happening Now
Yesterday was Day One of Week In The Life 2016 (click here to learn more about this project started by Ali Edwards; click here to read my quick post about it this year).
I think it's worth emphasizing that this isn't a competition. The point isn't to take the best photos with the hippest Instagram filters. It is definitely not a competition for who has the best life. I have zero interest in playing that game.
I want to do this project because I want to remember, in detail, this time in my life. I've always loved looking at old family photos; even as a kid I would flip through our family photo albums and look at the same pictures, over and over again. I always wanted more: more details, more stories, more insight into the lives of my family members at different stages.
Now that I've been married for over 18 years and been a parent for over 16, I love looking back on my various memory-keeping projects and reflecting on all we've been through together. I love remembering where we've been and thinking about where we are right now. It's easy to think you'll remember the little things, but it's often old photos that remind me of the little things long forgotten. And all those little things add up to the big things. Those little things add up to create your whole life.
Here are some photos from Monday:
This is my Fitbit Blaze watch in the dark. As usual, I'm awake before my alarm.
I spend way too much time in bed looking at my phone.
C'mon, coffee.
I'm up already. Thanks anyway, Fitbit alarm.
Morning Walk. My favorite.
Breakfast.
Drive to Alex's speech therapy:
His therapy session:
Dropping Alex off at school:
My regular Meals on Wheels route.
My lunch: a Cavemonkey Protein Shake from South Block Juice Co. The driver for another Meals on Wheels route didn't show up, and since I was the first one back from doing my route, they asked me to do it. I really didn't want to; I had a to-do list that was a mile long, and I was hungry and wanted lunch. I felt resentful and cranky and begrudgingly agreed to do it. I grabbed this shake for a quick lunch on the go and resigned myself to the task. Then I remembered all the people who were homebound and hungry and waiting for their lunch to be delivered, and I softened into feeling grateful. My to-do list can wait.
But not all tasks could wait. We did need groceries!
Mondays mean these two come over after school to hang out with Alex. Today they ate pizza and watched Seinfeld reruns. These two friends of Alex's have come over every Monday afternoon since 6th grade, so I've had a front-row seat to watch them grow up together. It's pretty awesome.
That's all I've got! I have no evening photos! I got sucked into fighting with some photo editing apps and I lost my picture-taking mojo for the day. I'm okay with that; I have all week to get pictures of our routine weeknights around here.
I think you can see the idea. Ordinary pictures of ordinary days. I won't share every picture going forward, but I hope you're inspired to pause and notice the little things that make up your life. The truth is, we never know when these little things will change. It is worth noticing them now.
If you're on Instagram, search the hashtags #weekinthelife #witl2016 for further inspiration. There is beauty in the everyday.
