Pieces of Life

A big problem that I have with blogging is that few dare to be transparent anymore. Blogs seem to either read as advertisements or something that's been watered-down and filtered. In the midst of all of this curation, we've forgotten that perfection is kinda bland. I try to make it a point of being open and honest about my not-so-perfect life, which is a learning process. As I was going through some old photos, I laughed to myself at the amount of "outtakes" I have-- you know, the "less than perfect" bits and pieces. If you blog, you know what I mean. The "slightly unflattering angle," or it's slightly-out-of-focus, or you love the photo but it may seem a little "out of place." Yes, I have hard drives full of those. When you look at photos on here, you probably don't think of the test shots of Brenden simply standing there being cold. Danielle takes so many photos but you rarely get to see her face or a little thing we like to call #DanielleDrinkingThings. Behind every moment, there is a moment. 

These photos weren't "up to standard" and only took less than a second to capture but for some reason, they stick with me. Despite the vast amount of time I've spent in New York, I will never forget breathlessly gazing up at those buildings and trying to compose a perfect shot while fighting against the rush of a pre-Christmas crowd. I remember Brenden's glasses fogging up along with my camera lens as I took a photo of his hands holding his coffee mug. I remember how Danielle and I couldn't find a place to sit in Elixr and had to bundle up and drink our coffee outside. (In JANUARY!) I remember how Brenden and I posed for a quick picture while hanging out with my sister only a few hours before he asked me to be his wife. Yes, all of these pixels hold significance to me and I love having photographs to look back on and reminisce. I cherish these moments when I'm stuck in those dismal times. I'll look at B's handsome face or recall a joke Danielle shared that made me laugh so hard that I snorted. I'll sneer at younger versions of myself for being afraid to post a photo because I may look "fat" and just be content that I am blessed to be able to do what I do. These slightly-imperfect moments are the ones that challenge me and cause me to grow. I would not trade them for anything.

xo, e.m.

p.s. how dope it it that in the first photo, the Kurt Vile mural is in the background? Philly is a magical place.