I’m home.
I’m full.
And even though it was 4am when I finally stumbled tired suitcase in the door of our little white house to find that sleeping baby girl and wrap myself around her, I made it home and that’s all that matters.
Travel is fun and wonderful even when it’s exhausting.
To me, there’s nothing more remarkable than getting to see the world through someone else’s eyes.
Sometimes we may be under the impression that we have to go all the way to South Africa to do so. Or across town to the refugee aid organization. Or to volunteer at church or listen as a friend shares over some great Mexican food. Those are effective, to be sure.
But as I recently looked through six month’s worth of photos forgotten on my memory card, I rediscovered that we may not even need to leave the house to see the world in a whole new way.
Sometimes we just need to bend down until we reach someone else’s point of view. Around five feet or so does quite nicely at our house. That’s the angle I observed as I scrolled through moments I hadn’t been aware someone had captured.
Between the two of them, my sons showed me what interests them. What they love. Where their attention is captivated. And what they care about.
{These photos are completely un-retouched or cropped. This is the world as they framed it.}
Did you see it? Beyond the messy and the camera angles and the well worn house? Did you see the five people who live in each other’s space and inhale each other’s joy. The family utterly at ease with one another. The comfortably broken in couch, carpet and relationships. The boy’s finger gently tickling his new sister’s chin. The dependable toys, grins and toddler noses. The wonder of a wide open sky and a favorite story.
Did you see it, Lisa-Jo?
Because I need to bottle this perspective and save it up for a rainy, frustrating day when I wonder if we’re the last grown ups on earth who still have never purchased a house. When I’m tired of battling the creative ways my boys concoct to stain the carpet and I’ve given up all hope of matching anything.
I need to remember to see the world from this vantage point.
Because from five feet up it looks pretty darn fantastic.
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You never fail to bless me, Lisa-Jo. :)
Oh, how I love this reminder and glimpse into the joy of your family!
My 5 and 3 year old kids do the same thing with my camera, and I love it.
Your timing with this piece was God’s grace. Thank you!
I absolutely love looking at the pictures that kids take. I can’t help but wonder what pictures would have come from previous generations of kids, you know if cameras hadn’t been insanely fragile and film so expensive to develop. The digital camera has certainly done a lot to help encourage the creativity in kids.
I have an album on facebook dedicated to the photos that my daughter has taken over the last 7 months or so. She’s got some amazingly intuitive shots, too, considering she’s not yet 3 :).
Beauty, Lisa-Jo. I love your perspective… it keeps me in check.
I hope you had some of that piping hot Chicago style pizza while you waited in the airport… there’s nothing better, I miss it.
Welcome home~ xx
Ah, the kid perspective—some how that 5 foot mark brings us closer to God. And you, my dear? We have not purchased a home yet, you are not alone there. As far as carpets go…….why replace them? Life happens when you are living it. You can have clean carpets when your house is quiet down the road. Too quiet and too clean.
Seeing life through your sons’ eyes was a treat. I love the stuffed animal shots; they would have been important to my childhood self, too, but I think as an adult I tend to forget that. And the close-up of your baby girl was just precious.
You should collage those shots…
I did see it and it melted my heart! The boy’s finger tickling his sister’s chin. Love life from their perspective — so precious.
What a blessing you are! I loved this one today. I think it is so fundamental to our happiness with each other. If we would just take a moment or two to see through their eyes and be amazed!
Lisa-Jo, I think I saw something even different that what you saw. I didn’t see any furniture or carpet. I saw what two little boys think is important – parents, each other, baby sister, Happy Feet and Up, stuffed dogs and toys, paintings hung on the wall, and beautiful skies. That’s all that matters. What a great perspective!
i love this. it’s perspective i need right now!
Love, love, love it. My stepson’s photos on his “I earned it myself” digital camera are some of my very favorite, special things in this world. His self-portraits are amazing, as are the ones you shared with us. Isn’t it amazing how they see themselves at this age? I need to learn to see myself that way too…even at this! age.
lisa-jo – i love the ‘5 feet perspective’ cause that is how i always see the world :) being just 5 ft tall…
This is so beautiful. I loved seeing the pictures the kids took. They find joy in the little things, which is something lost on most adults.
Great post, thanks for sharing! My daughter (almost 5) has just started using our digital camera too and gets the most wonderful shots. Perspective indeed. We just celebrated eight years of marriage but haven’t bought a house yet either…only a few months till we’re debt free, though, and then maybe, maybe, maybe… :) I’m really enjoying your blog!
Now I feel guilty for just erasing their pictures. :) Haha! Great thoughts, and fun pictures. I love how close up my kids always make their self-portraits. Looks like your boys do the same. :)
Yes, I saw it…especially the tender tickle. As a teacher, I love seeing the world through the eyes of children. What amazes me (and changes me!) the most, though, is seeing God through these precious little ones. Truly, children are a gift from the Lord and so was this post. Thank you for allowing us to peak into life as your little ones see it. I feel honored and oh so, blessed.
~Stacy