These Are the Days

These Are the Days- A Poem About Growing Up and Holding On

I’ll cut right to it. I wrote a poem today. I used to write a lot. Journals, stories, random thoughts, and even poetry. Before kids, that is. Some of it was pretty silly (younger me could be cringe at times, but what teenager isn’t), but it was always a way for me to process and reflect. This morning, I found myself thinking about those old journals and decided to see if I could still write something. The words in this poem may feel a bit different from what I wrote back then, but the emotions behind them are just as real. Here goes nothing.

These Are the Days

I don’t want to forget these times
I see their growth in subtle signs,
in quiet days that slipped right past,
the kind I always thought would last.

The blanket forts and pancake mess,
The dirty feet, the Sunday rest,
his nose freckles, her wild hair,
the way their toys were everywhere.

The little things that made us “us,”
our silliness, chaos, love, and fuss,
the beauty in our everyday,
the magic found in every stage.

They grow so fast, they slip right through,
one day in onesies, next Spidey costumes.
They say new words, they begin to write,
Then they’re grown before your sight.

The way they quietly draw for hours,
Imagining adventures with jungle cat powers.
I know this stage will fade so fast,
So I try to hold on and make it last.

And sometimes I can’t help but cry,
I didn’t know I was saying goodbye,
The very last of something sweet and small,
a moment I didn’t know was last at all.

So I reach for ways to still hold on,
To these babies that will soon be gone,
To the days that are now stories,
The mess, the love, in all its glory.

Because these are the days we’ll miss most,
Quietly clutching it all so close,
the noise, the mess, the little feet,
This rich life that made our hearts complete.

Thanks for sticking around for that. I don’t know if it resonated with anyone else, but I know I’ll look back and be grateful that I made time on this quiet Thursday morning to write it down. So, you might ask- what in the world does this have to do with photography? This is a photography website, not a diary.

Yes, but stay with me.

Because what I’m aiming to build within this business and even for my family, isn’t just about pictures- it’s about something deeper. It’s about the ache we all feel when time slips through our fingers, and the longing to hold on to the beauty of right now. That’s the heart behind everything I do with my camera: to make space for people to slow down, to see themselves in the little moments, and to have something real and lasting to hold onto as the seasons shift.

Which leads me to this. As some of you may already know or be catching on to, something is coming soon… something that was born from this very ache. Something beautiful. Something I believe in and I hope you will too.

And I can’t wait to share it with you.

Until then, I’m going to be working hard to hold on and savor. Because littles don’t keep.

Love,

~ Melena