All at once.

I had the opportunity over the past couple of weeks to see two old friends.

One from high school, and one of my old roommates from college.

It was super fun to catch up, to hear about their lives, to hug them and to feel so happy at seeing them.

Even though it had been twenty years since I'd seen Frances, and about 12 since I'd seen Chawntelle, their blogs have helped me feel caught up on their lives to some degree.

While talking with one friend, she lamented that the people that she knows now don't know her the way she was, ie; cute little dancer girl with lovely, curly red hair. Instead of the occasionally tired mom of 4 that she is now.

And my other friend, while she didn't say it, I think doesn't mind being thought of the way she was, but prefers who she is now.

This all got me thinking about how people see us. About everything that is behind who we are. We aren't simply just a mom or a dad, or an employee or boss. We aren't just our physical features.

There is so much more to all of God's creations than just what you get on a first glance.

When I see Chawtelle and Frances, I see them in my mind from the moment I first met them up until now. They are all those things-the dancer, the artist, the one with the fire-y spirit, the widow with wisdom and grace, the mum of 4 small children, the new girl in 4th grade, the girl who has no idea how beautiful she really is. They are all these things and more.

My in-laws have said that this is how they see their children. They don't just see them as the adults they are today, they see them from the time they were born all the way until who they are now. There almost isn't a beginning or an end, there is just love and happiness at who they were, and all that has lead to who they ARE. And as parents, we see it, all at once.

And I know this will be true, is true, of my own children as well. But sometimes I want to freeze frame their lives, so that I never forget the moments. The moments like this:

And this:

And this:

And this:

You didn't know we were so street at our house, did ya? Kate and Julia and Charlie weren't there for the pictures cuz they were at a break dancing competition. Ok, not really. But they weren't really interested in posing for me. So I get to show you these instead:

Life is short. Love who you are. Be who you are. Embrace all the experiences that have made you who you are.

The end.