I went and caught up with a friend the other day and she showed me a picture of her and her dad when she was younger.

Her dad passed away and whenever she misses him, she looks at that photo.

She said, that was him, before cancer, before he was in a hospital bed hooked up to machines… it was him. It was us and we were happy and that’s how I remember him.

This is why photos are important.

A post shared by The Mum On The Run (@themumontherun_) on Oct 22, 2017 at 2:14am PDT

Dads; when she’s sitting there on the beach looking like a goddess with her children surrounding her… take her photo.

When she’s all dolled up and feeling like a million dollars and she’s smiling holding your child, take the photo.

When she’s got her hair in a bun and in sweat pants with hairs on her chin. Take the photo.

Don’t roll your eyes… take it

When you go out together and you are having a family day, ask a stranger to take the photo. Ask a million different ones so you’re all in it together. They’ll never say no. Better yet ask another family to take it and take turns. They get it, trust me. Dads take the initiative.

A post shared by The Mum On The Run (@themumontherun_) on Aug 9, 2017 at 8:11pm PDT

Mums: take the photo of him. When they’re jumping all over him and they’re all laughing… snap the photo and join in.

When he’s snoring on the couch with the baby on his chest, take the photo. 

When he’s dressed up feeling like a million bucks and your child’s sitting on his lap… take the photo.

Keep them. Print them. Make albums and make the moments a memory. After you take the photo live in the moment and love it. Hold on to each precious moment together…

Because one day you’ll look back and those kids will be grown, and one day your kids will look back and remember, and they’ll remember that time you took that photo, and you were smiling and it was you and them.

They’ll remember that it was “us” and they’ll remember how happy you were in that moment and they’ll never forget how happy you’ll always make them.

This post originally appeared on the Facebook page Laura Mazza – Mum on the Run and has been republished here with full permission. You can read more from Laura Mazza on her blog The Mum on the Run. 

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