Leaving Proof

Todays blog post is dedicated to the amazing Aleida Franklin.She was a wonderful wife, mother, scrapbooker, artist, and an inspirational blogger who often posted pictures of herself along with children for her readers to see. I didn't know Aleida personally, but she taught me something I will never forget.

Aleida prompted "Have you ever seen a photograph of your own mother and thought to yourself how fat she looked? Or how she wasn't wearing make-up? Or wasn't dressed in a glamorous outfit?"

Of course my answer was no.

She then responded with saying that she made it a goal to take a picture of herself with her children at least once every month. And that to use excuses about how we look, as women, is ridiculous, since our children will never care what we looked like, but only that we had physical evidence of the bond between mother and child.

Aleida tragically and unexpectedly passed away in an auto accident in September of 2008, leaving 2 small children and a grieving husband. After she passed I thought of how those children must feel to have those precious photographs.

I, along with many other women, have made it my personal goal to follow her wise suggestion and I try to take photos of myself with my children....double chins, make-up free, bed-head and all.

And so, if you want to take Aleida's Challenge, snap some pictures with your children and smile! And post 'em here to the official flickr group.

Originally posted on Nov 9, 2009 at Oh Mandie.

xoxo