My ninth year as a father begins this month. To say it’s been an adventure would be an understatement. Every day presents a new challenge, breakdown, victory and reward.
I’ve thought about why every parent feels like the years go by so fast, and I think it’s because parenthood is such an adventure that it requires you to live in the moment. Kids demand non-stop attention. If you get caught dwelling on the past or thinking about the future too long, a kid will shock you out of your daze by splashing you in the face with something or by throwing something at you when you least expect it. Resting is out of the question.
Living in the moment is awesome. Everyone should try this on a daily basis. But if there’s a downside to living in the moment, it’s losing track of time. I’m so focused on getting kids to school and soccer practice, passing out snacks and wet wipes, picking up toys and dirty clothes, etc. that it’s hard to find the time to notice how fast the time is passing.

The New String for Your Finger
Time isn’t a luxury parents enjoy. But at least parents today have something convenient to capture the ‘moments’ in the moment so we don’t forget them: the camera phone.
Prior to the camera phone, I had an expensive, fancy camera to capture every cute thing our firstborn did. The only problem was that lugging around that camera wasn’t easy. It weighed heavily around my neck, literally and figuratively. Meanwhile, I wanted to capture more than the traditional photo op.
Birthdays and Christmas are great for pictures, but every new day has an unexpected adventure and moment to remember. And I wanted to capture the simple moments like an impromptu walk through our city or a hike through the woods. And now that I have a phone that fits in my pocket beside the rocks my kids want me to keep for some reason, I can. (See below.) And these photos stored on my phone (and some magical cloud) allow me to scroll through them and remember the moments that would have otherwise been lost in the back of my busy ‘living in the moment’ mind.
Focusing on the Moments that Matter
Among the thousands of pictures taken of my family every year, there are a few that stand out and deserve more attention than the occasional scroll through my phone’s photo album. The picture featured at the top of this post is one such picture. It’s a moment I want to remember. But, just as importantly, it’s a moment I want my kids to remember as well.
The picture was taken in the mountains of Tennessee where I was born. Although I moved away when I was seven, it’s always remained my ‘home’ – as in the place where I’m from. My parents ingrained in me the importance of knowing and remembering your roots, and I’m trying to do that for my kids. I want them to remember running over hills and through creeks on the family farm. I want them to remember their connection to the place of their family roots.
Kids, like their busy parents, tend to forget the places they go and see. So capturing the everyday and significant moments of their childhood in a picture can help them remember that moment forever, just like it helps me remember. When they look at this picture 15 or 20 years from now, I hope they remember playing on our family’s farm and the windy day that picture was taken. I hope they consider it a moment that matters, just like I do.
Capturing Your Own Moments that Matter
Because there are pictures that deserve special attention, I’m thankful there are companies like Fracture to help us showcase those pictures. Everything Fracture does is centered around revolutionizing the printed photo, because they want to help anyone who wants to share their story in a unique and tangible way.
Since Fracture is so focused on the moments that matter, they’re giving away a family vacation to help you enjoy more moments that matter. All you need to do is follow this link to learn more.
Embrace the adventure of parenthood, enjoy the ride and take plenty of pictures. Your future self will thank you.
How would you like to put yourself in the running to win a family vacation that would help you create new memories?
Simply enter HERE, then post one of your favorite family moments to Instagram using the #FocusOnMoments hashtag and you’re in the running!
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a sponsored campaign with Fracture on behalf of their #FocusOnMoments campaign, however the memories are all mine. Check them out HERE, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.