Don't overlook the small ideas

Each year, my kids, husband and I gather for our annual family photo shoot. It’s a tradition we’ve done each year for the past 12, and one that we all really get into. We use the same photographer who we love, go to different spots for each session and always incorporate a suggestion our kids made the very first year.   

Back then, they thought it would be fun if they each wore a pair of sunglasses for at least some of the shots, allowing them to sprinkle in a little bit of joy into the process. The photographer captured a few different poses of each donning a pair of shades, and we used one of the pics on our annual holiday card.  

I loved that card, and so did many others. The kids’ expressions were silly and perfectly reflected their individual personalities. The following year, they suggested we all wear sunglasses for some of the poses.   

And so we did and have done so each year thereafter.  

Small ideas can bring a spark  

I am grateful for our family tradition of yearly photos, and I am even more so that my kids still look forward to it. I think one reason they do is because of those sunglasses; we’ve incorporated their idea into our annual shoot, and as a result, it has become an important aspect of our annual tradition.   

As we get ready for the day of the photoshoot, we all make sure we have a pair of sunglasses before we head out. And when we put them on and the photographer takes some pictures, we know we’re capturing our signature moment for that year.  

It’s our “watermark pose” and one we look forward to striking year after year.  

Finding the spark 

Last year for Hanukkah, I made a photobook that included only the pictures of us wearing sunglasses over the years, and the kids loved it. They see that their initial idea way back when has sparked joy, fun and creativity throughout the years, and their idea has become ours.  

Unlike Marie Kondo, who encouraged us to spark joy by getting organized, I like to spark joy by finding it in the mundane. It’s those little sparks that make us, our family and our friends special, and they are worth celebrating.   

A pair of sunglasses to you might seem like a fun prop for a photo shoot, but to us, they symbolize much more. They symbolize the joy in being together and capturing the moment.  

And I want to celebrate that for as long as I can. 

Our family’s signature photo tradition