One of the perks of being “middle-aged” (okay, okay a loaded phrase..) is becoming wiser. Being able to differentiate and decide between the when,, the where, the how, the why. Knowing the difference between things, discerning, and then acting upon it. And also: when to “do it myself/yourself” (DIM or DIY)  or when to get others to “do it for me” (DIFM?).

These days, I find myself doing less, and delegating more. For example, I don’t take pictures so much anymore (see previous post!), but I relax and ask my kids to email me the pictures that they have taken. Now that’s called DELEGATING. Not that I’m adverse to snapping a picture of my grandkids performing the most incredible feat that no other woman’s grandchild has ever ever accomplished. No. That’s not it.

Not that I’m against having my grandkids pose just the way I want them to…(amidst their shouts of “okay, okay, enough pictures, Omi!”). No, that’s not it, either.

It’s just that – as I mentioned in my previous post — I don’t want to lose the moment – the real live moment of watching, observing, and feeling the nachas.

A grandmother friend  (a “Savta” actually), read my Sunday post and pointed out that refraining from taking pictures altogether would prevent me from having the memories to look at later on. My natural response to her would have been, “now let’s not get carried away – I still take lots and lots of pictures.”

But I think she is onto something. Maybe it’s time for me to figure out the when and the where at this time –not in a mechanical way, but in a more natural, evolving way.

While I really really want to back off from taking pictures- so that I don’t miss the actual moment while trying to record for posterity…. I  can still find ways to preserve those memories of the kids. I can choose to take ONE picture, and then sit back. OR I can ask (oh so sweetly) to my son and daughter-in-law that they take the pictures (they love to take pictures) and then send them to me.

I guess the delegating the picture taking (i.e. hiring a photographer) to another person – albeit one’s own children is a good idea. And if all else fails, we can use our powerful memory — in our mind’s eye —to recall and relish those moments together with our grandchildren.