I’ve often times been asked by perspective clients why I got into the photography industry. I’ve always been very honest in my answer. It wasn’t because I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was 5, or because I wanted to tour the world and work for National Geographic. The reason I started this business was to allow me to be at home with my son. When I bought my first camera it was shear luck and coincidence that I happen to be good at taking pictures and even more a stroke of luck that I was able to get into the wedding part of this industry.
There are days I ask myself why I continue the business, when I’m frusterated with my creative vision or the fact I don’t have the newest camera. Always in the back of head I remember how much I truly do love this job. I remember how much I love getting to meet new people and document life. But even more than those reasons, the biggest reason of all that I love what I do is because it lets me be a mother.
For those of you who have hired me for your wedding, birth of your child, family portraits, senior sessions….
Thank You
, from the bottom of my heart. Today, my job allowed me to be a mother. The very reason I started this journey in the first place.
Jax had a rough day today going to school. This isn’t typical for him as he usually loves going to school. But the last couple of weeks he has gotten very anxious and upset right before school started. Today was the climax. As I was pulling up to drop him off at school, panic set in and tears began to fall. He didn’t want to get out of the car, didn’t want his teacher to get him, all he wanted was me. Instead of just forcing him out of the car, I walked into school with him. Not only that but I stayed with him through music class until it was time for regular school to start. Music class is an hour long and it took me another fifteen minutes after that to pry him away long enough for me to get out the door.
It was torture. For him and me both. Today was one of the most agonizing experiences I’ve had as a mother. Shots? I can handle that. Discipline? I’ve got that under control. But hearing my son cry for me as I’m trying to leave him at school was beyond awful. It’s awful in general, but especially because he has never, not once, cried when it was time for school. At three years old, he hopped out of the car and went into the building by himself like it was no big deal. So today, when a melt down occured it was completely out of the blue and I was ill prepared.
As I sat in my car and sobbed that I knew my son was in the building crying, I thought, “thank God I don’t have a 9-5 job somewhere, there’s no way I could have just left him.” I know there are mothers that do have those jobs, and they are special warriors in their own right. But today, today I am so incredibly thankful for each of you who have invested your time and money into me and this business. It is because of you I’m able to do the most important and gratifying job in the world: be Jaxson’s mamma.
I don’t know how I could ever tell you in a short post what this means to me and my family. But know that today, the fact I run my own business, allowed me to calm the fears of my little boy, let me wipe his tears and hold his hand and assure him that whatever was bothering him would be okay. Your faith in me and continued business allowed me to hug my son a little longer before leaving, pray over his classroom before I walked out of the building, and then spend time in prayer this afternoon while he is at school. There aren’t enough Thank You’s to express my gratitude.
Because of you…I was able to focus on the very thing that makes this life so wonderful:
I love each and everyone of you!
