A California mom had a heartbreaking realization after she saw her son’s school picture.
Kim Salisbury told Newsweek it was normal, busy day when she went to put her son Camden’s 12th grade photo in the “School Years” book when she broke down in tears.
“It wasn’t necessarily sad crying, just emotional,” Salisbury said. “I put the photo in, went to close the book, and then I saw a few more pictures of him as a little boy, and it just hit me again. It just stopped me in my tracks.”
Salisbury, who is also mom to her daughter Phoebe with husband Christian, posted the moment in a reel on Instagram telling other fellow moms “don’t blink” in the caption.
“Mamas with littles, I know you are in it right now,” Salisbury said. “But I’m here to tell you, the days are long, the years are short.”
The idea to organize school photos started when Phoebe joined preschool. Overwhelmed by the number of photographs from various activities and sports teams, Kim found a photo album divided by the year, with space for filling in teachers’ names, best friend’s names, height and what they enjoy most about school.
“So, year after year, decade over decade, the second those photos come home, I go directly to the books, get out the glue stick, and in they go,” Salisbury said. “When [Phoebe’s] brother was born, I ordered another school album and another sports album, and then there were four—two for each kid.”
Salisbury, who is the founder and CEO of Home Method Co., a luxury home organization and decluttering service, said that many of her followers are “in the thick of it” with young children.
“So often, you’re just in survival mode during that phase, just trying to get through the very long days,” Salisbury said. “It can feel never-ending but…it does end; they grow up. So, I think in that emotional moment, I was just saying enjoy every moment, try not to take it for granted, because it will be gone in a blink.”
Salisbury’s reel has gone viral on Instagram, amassing more than 3.5 million views. Thousands of other parents were moved to tears by the mom’s heartbreaking realization.
“I have a newborn, 2 year old and 4 year old and I cannot stop crying,” one user wrote.
“This made me so sad. I just ordered 4th grade pics for mine and looking at how different my son looks just from kindergarten to 4th grade tugged my heart strings,” another added.
Even though she has a “small” following, Salisbury said the reel resonated with so many people.
“And not just moms—women who have yet to have kids or are pregnant, many who have babies in their arms as they watch the reel and are weeping thinking of how fast it will go,” she said.
“Even some men have been affected by it, thinking of their littles growing up,” Salisbury added. “Camden’s favorites are the ones that ask if he’s single, or say how cute he is!”
Camden, who is currently a junior at C.K. McClatchy High School, is a pitcher and hopes to play D-1 baseball in college.
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