This November I made a bold and potentially harmful decision for my business. One that I hoped would be beneficial long term for my family.
I opted to put my camera on the shelf for the month of December, to turn off my computer for a large majority of the month and to put off work for the holidays.
Aspen was a trooper and took on all sessions I had already booked.
I felt strongly today that I needed to explain the situations that encouraged me to take this huge step.
On November 18th I got a call from my mom with the worst news I’ve had in a long time. We are opting to keep the details private until the time is right. The news brought me and all my family to tears for days. We were all looking forward to being together for Thanksgiving so we could process some things together.
A few days after this phone call I started feeling congested but chalked it up to all the days of crying. The sniffles didn’t go away and on the Sunday before we were planning on heading out of town I realized I couldn’t smell that ham that had been cooking in my crock-pot all day.
I immediately went in and got tested for Covid. The results came back positive. I was on quarantine and couldn’t make the trip to be with my family. Cue all the tears. Like ALL OF THEM. What if this was the last Thanksgiving we would have all of us together? What if my family dynamics changed forever and I wasn’t there to enjoy those last healthy moments?
My mental health took a hit. I just couldn’t get out from under the cloud of worry for this family of mine that I adore like crazy!
That was the moment I realized that I’ve been so busy being a business owner that I’m sacrificing all the moments that are important to me and my family.
Now don’t worry, I’m not here to say I’m shutting down shop! Two Color Photography will be around for a long time still!
I am saying how grateful I am to those clients whose galleries haven’t been edited or whose sessions got bumped to January. I love your families almost as much as I love my own. I love love how patient you’ve been with me this winter!
Sometimes it takes scary moments to make you stop and wake up to what you’re missing. So I made a decision to be present this year for the first time in a very long time!
This December has been amazing for me. We’ve baked bread – 52 loaves of the bread that I remember my mom baking each Christmas, we decorated cookies and gingerbread houses! We met my college daughter in Salt Lake and giggled over dinner at the Cheescake Factory, shopped and shopped – and put away that $150 pair of jeans that must have magical powers – and stopped to watch the twinkling lights!
I was present this year as my youngest child started realizing that mom and dad just might actually be the ones putting all the presents under the tree and that maybe Santa isn’t real. Can you imagine how I’d beat myself up if this last year of Santa magic for him happened while I was at work??!!
I experienced my kids doing secret acts of service for mom and dad so we wouldn’t get left out of the action.
My husband and I went on Christmasy dates! We went ICE SKATING! Just like a Hallmark movie!
Speaking of movies – I think we watched all the Christmas classics from National Lampoons (my favorite) to It’s a Wonderful Life (my husband’s favorite) and all the movies in between!
We made the trip to Vernal to be with our families without the weight of unedited sessions burdening my trip.
I even hopped on a plane with my sisters and mom and flew to Arizona to bring our traditional girl’s weekend to my sister! We ate WAY too much food, spent WAY to much money and laughed SOO much! I even had an airline lose my luggage for the first time in my life!!
My mental health LOVED this Christmas season! My family LOVED this Christmas season! I needed this break!
I’ll get those sessions all edited asap! But I won’t get these 30+ days back with my family and I’m so grateful I took time to enjoy them this holiday season!! I plan on being present with my family each December, it was exactly what the doctor ordered for me!
Happy New Year to each of you and your beautiful families!!
And your family loved having you!