I wanted to share some of my thoughts about our current situation; along with some photos of a session I did this past year.
These images are of the “H” family. I have taken their portraits so many times over the years. Audra and I cherish our relationships with our returning customers. We get so excited when we get a call from one of “our” families to set up that years’ session. And we share with each other how great it is (and what an honor) to watch families grow. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.
This years’ session with the “H” family was extra special because they are finally OBX home owners! Usually we meet in Corolla for our beach portrait session. But this year they wanted to take them inside their new home. I was so happy to take these photos. I’m so excited that their dream of having a vacation home in their happy place came true!
These photos feel so applicable right now. It’s what most of us are doing...staying at home. And looking at these photos and remembering how happy they were to capture their family in their new home, cuddling up on the couch, reminds me that it’s a blessing. Being at home with family is a blessing.
There is a lot of uncertainty during this crazy time when COVID-19 has made most of us stay at home. We don’t know what tomorrow holds. Will we have jobs? Will there be a recession or even a depression? When (if ever) will we be able to continue with our lives as they were?
But there is a bright side and there are glimmers of hope. It’s amazing to see (when I go on Facebook or meet up with friends on Zoom) how many people are focusing on positives. They could easily focus on the fear that comes with this crisis and no one would blame them! Instead people are: sharing stories to brighten days, making masks, thanking helpers, and so much more. Many of my friends are looking for what they should learn from this situation.
And here is what Audra and I are focusing on right now: family. Family is not canceled. Family is in full force! Slowing down together as a family has been a beautiful thing. We are very lucky that we are able to stay home with a full house of people to cuddle and play with. We also feel so very very blessed that we are financially stable enough to be able to do this.
I was talking to my mother-in-law the other day and she was telling me about how stores used to be closed on Sundays. There was no rush to go anywhere. Just time spent with family. She hopes that can come back after all this and I agree.
I do feel that I’m building some skills right now. Before we started social distancing I was at the grocery store every other day. I was just not good at planning our meals for the week. We also wasted a lot of food as a family. Now I know what we are having for dinner every night of the week and one of those nights is leftover night! To me this means more time spent in the moment. I am not rushing to figure out what’s happening for dinner tonight. It also means saving money on food and reducing our footprint.
When this is over I’m going to be overjoyed to attend a public event. I’m going to eat at my favorite restaurant (Kill Devil Grill). And I’m going to take my kids to the H2OBX water park. But I do have some hopes for what will be different after all this is said and done. I hope we can implement what we’ve learned. And that we can slow down when we need to. I hope I will continue to live in the moment with my family. And I want to always remember that no matter what gets canceled, my kids are growing up everyday. There’s no event more exciting or rewarding to attend! It’s something I need to remember to slow down to see.
