More than a Photographer

and surely not Superwoman. So why does it feel like I am being pulled in several different directions and don't have a clue which way is up? I have done quite a bit of thinking on this this last weekend and have come to one realization.

Very rarely do I put personal notes on my business blog, most of that is reserved for my Personal 365 blog, but one thing has happened these last couple weeks to really put life in perspective for me.

These last couple weeks have been very difficult for myself and my family. As some of you may know, my  mother was hospitalized and had undergone a surgery to have a stint put in. She had been admitted for having chest pains, and they found it was not a heart attack, thank the Lord! But severe all the same with 74% blockage in one artery and another small blockage in another. Now, my mom is not anything other than healthy, she eats right, exercises and is on the go all the time! Today, she is fine, doing well and adjusting to her new lifestyle and her new friend "stint". It scared the dickens out of me to know that if not caught, my mom would have very limited days with us. I need my mom. She is my support!

Anywho, with that all behind us and me hitting my desk harder than ever today, swamped, I sit, with my mind aboggle. I have come to the realization that life is too short. No matter how healthy one may seem, there can be a life changing event that can happen to any one of us, today, tomorrow, a week from now. No one knows. So as I struggle to come to grips with what just happened with my mom, I have come to realize life is too short.

Therefore there will be a ton of business changes coming this year and I am super happy for them, and wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for all my clients that I absolutely adore.

My business hours will change, effective immediately. I will be available for phone calls and answering emails and at my desk Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 4pm. I need to find a balance between work and family. Something I have lacked these last couple years. It is so easy to get sucked into my computer because it is right there, in my home, at all hours of the day and neglecting the fact that my kids are only little once, and I want to relish in their lives and be there, on their sideline cheering them through life. So, if it is after these business hours, my phone and email will be turned off and I will get back to you the following day. Saturdays will be reserved for weddings and portrait clients and I will not be available on Sundays. Of course, if you are doing a session during the week, I will be available for that.... and adjusting my weekly time accordingly.

Photography defines me, it is part of me and who I am, but my family also defines me and is also a part of who I am. I would not be where I am today if it was not for my family, or my clients. They both are something I adore and love equally, and there needs to be a balance.

I hope all my clients understand this, and I look forward to what this year has to bring!