Legacy Isn’t Just for Grandparents: It Starts Right Now!

The Word That Feels Heavy (Until It Doesn’t)

Let’s be honest: the word legacy can feel a little… heavy. Sometimes even a little morbid.

It brings to mind the big picture. The someday. The after.

We often think of legacy as something that belonds to our parents or grandparents- something that comes with age, experience, and the inevitable passage of time.

But what if that’s not the whole story?

What if legacy isn’t about the end? What if it’s about the right now?

Why I Think About Legacy Differently

I used to work in a children’s hospital, and while I don’t share those stories- because they are not mine to tell- they changed me forever. I saw families who didn’t get the tomorrow they were hoping for. I watched how love poured out in the smallest of moments, and how photographs suddenly meant everything.

It taught me early on that legacy isn’t just a concept we talk about at the end of life- it’s something we live and breathe in real time!

And then later, during one of the hardest seasons of my life, I learned that same lesson again! The universe is funny that way!

When my husband was deployed and I was navigating anxiety and depression all along with an angry one year old mad that his daddy was all of a sudden gone; I made a promise to send him a photo of our son every day.

And even though I felt like I was falling apart- I kept photographing. Even when I felt like I was failing as a mom… I kept documenting so my husband could see all the milestones our little man was making back home.

And here’s the part I never expected:

When I looked back at those photos,

I didn’t see the mess.

I didn’t see the exhaustion or the fear I had felt at the time.

I saw joy and fun and magic!

I saw a little boy who was thriving. Who was happy. Who was dancing in the kitchen, stealing cookies and soaking in a childhood that was joyful and full.

And that’s when I understood that legacy is what we build every day!

It’s not about having it all together. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about showing up in the moment, even when it’s chaotic, or hard, or messy!

This is why I photograph families the way I do. Not with stiff poses or matching smiles- but with honesty, heart, play and connection. With a kind of love that sometimes we can’t even see until we’re on the other side of it.

Because one day, years from now, I want you to look back and realize that in the middle of all the chaos and self doubt or busy schedules and homework, you were actually building something beautiful.

This is your legacy.

Legacy Lives in the Everyday

Legacy isn’t just found in milestone moments or family heirlooms. It’s tucked into the everyday:

• Morning pancake breakfasts
• Soccer balls in the yard (before they are replaced by guitars, car keys, and cell phones)
• Belly laughs over spilled milk
• Tantrums soothed with soft hands and whispered words
• Dancing in the kitchen in your pajamas
• After school brownies or cookies
• Sunday Night Special Dinners
• Bedtime Books and Special Songs

Every choice to love, to show up, to be present– that’s legacy in motion.

You don’t have to wait until life slows down.

You don’t have to wait until everyone’s wearing the “perfect outfits” in the perfect location with the perfect light! you don’t even have to feel like you’re doing it “right”. You just have to remember that you’re already doing it! You’re building your family’s legacy right now. And one day, you’ll look back and realize- this was it.

These were the days!

What I Hope You’ll Remember

I say this all the time, but I mean it with everything in me:

You are not waiting to create a legacy! You are already doing it- with every bed time story, every high five or first bump, every tear you wipe away and every hug you give!

The photographs you take today- whether with your phone or in a full session- are not just for later. They are for now too. AND because many things can be true at the same time… they are for the version of you who needs a reminder of how far you have come.

For your kids, who will someday hold them close and say, ” This way my childhood. This is how I was loved.”

Legacy isn’t just for our parents or our grandparents. It’s not heirlooms (although they help you build something tangible that can be held). Legacy STARTS today, in the small moments where we choose to be present!

Yes legacy is in the albums we create, the prints we frame and hang on our walls. It’s in the art we decorate on our fridges and also in the sticky finger prints on our windows!

But it’s also in the moments that are happening right now… ALL OF THEM! The ones that are beautiful, the ones that aren’t so perfect, and the ones that feel like ground hound day.

Don’t let it slip away!

Let’s capture it.

Let’s honor the beauty of your right now.

Let’s freeze just one moment- so you and your children can return to it again, and again, and again.

Because your story matters.

Your memory matters!

When you’re ready, I’m here- with my heart wide open and my camera in hand!

If you’d like to book a session with me let’s chat about how we can honor your legacy!