Life ebbs and flows. Seasons come and go. One of the reasons I take so many photos is because they are the only way to make time stand still. They provide a nostalgia that can’t compete with anything else. They help us remember the exact moment captured and show us how fast time is fleeting. It doesn’t matter if their texture is glossy or matte. It doesn’t matter if they are in a frame or on a screen. It doesn’t matter if they are professional or if someone’s thumbprint is in the upper corner.

All that matters is the moment frozen in time.

A grandmother holding her first grandchild.

A wedding day kiss.

Baby’s first popsicle.

An action shot on the soccer field.

The back of Papa and his sidekick’s head as they fish.

A moment frozen.

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My oldest was gifted a little blue wagon for his first birthday. At the time it was a much needed and appreciated gift. That wagon quickly became part of our family. Countless walks, trips to the beach, trick-or-treating, and more. When my son became a big brother, the wagon offered thrills to each boy. And of course, I documented pictures of the boys year after year in that little blue wagon. Moments now frozen.

Moments I will never get back but will always make me smile.

As the years passed away, as they always do, the little blue wagon sat stationary collecting leaves, rainwater, and pine needles. The boys didn’t need it anymore, and suddenly, I didn’t need it anymore either. Even though I didn’t grant permission, a season of our lives left us without warning. A season that at one moment felt like it would last forever. Wasn’t that little blue wagon part of our family? Wouldn’t we always need it?

So, I prepared to get rid of the little blue wagon. I cleaned it and scrubbed it one last time, and you know what else I did? I told my kids to get inside so I could take a picture.

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The thing about this photo is I knew it would be their last picture in the wagon. I don’t always know when something will be their last, but this time I did. A moment now frozen, not only in a photograph, but forever etched in my momma heart as well.

Until time stands still in real life, I’ll be freezing it the only way I know how—by taking pictures.

Originally published on the author’s Instagram page