“Youth is a wonderful thing. What a crime to waste it on children.”

~ George Bernard Shaw

Being the mother of two young boys, I am well-versed in the world of superheroes. I know their names, their special powers, their costumes and the always-exciting, never-soothing sound effects of crime fighting. Ka-Blamo! 

We have superhero wardrobe changes in our house (daily)—a mix and match collage of hero pieces, the boys are living, breathing decoupage creations of bravery and might. We sport masks and capes in grocery stores, restaurants, on car trips and hikes. We use catch phrases in leu of ‘proper’ grammar. We reenact thrilling displays of agility and kick-assery.

We are a household of heroes, plain and simple.

Being the mother of two young boys, I am also acutely aware of the time that continues to slip through my fingers—the inevitable, cruel plot twist. They keep growing and maturing and mastering life skills, skills I prided myself on offering to them. Our youngest spelled “Mom” on his Etch-a-Scetch yesterday—kryptonite for the mom who thought her baby would always be her baby.

My boys will grow up to be men; that both saddens and terrifies me.

But then I found these delightful images by photographer Rémi Noel.

They are enchanting, yet mature; playful, yet solemn.

Noel’s work makes the impeding doomsday seem far-less catastrophic. Hope has been restored: a piece of my children’s boyish magic may remain intact. I’ll have an opportunity to wear this invisible cape a while longer, protecting my little heroes like only a mother could.

To learn more about Rémi and his work, you can visit his website, This is Not a Map or his Facebook page.

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Editor: Bryonie Wise

Photos: republished with permission, all rights reserved to Rémi Noel