Who else is in the midst of a crazy season? Shooting sessions back to back, driving to crazy locations for that perfect photo or maybe staying up till 2 a.m. editing your life away with a glass of wine? Well, my friends, that is currently me. I used to love this. Sure, it was crazy and I spent less time with my family, but I, with my full heart and soul, LOVE my job.
“Why are you writing this then?”
Well my life changed drastically a little over two months ago. My son and I went to his routine checkup. During this check up, we went through a check list, to see how he was progressing. He was zero on the score chart for quite a few things, and I told myself, “He is just behind; he is learning things in his own time.” It wasn’t until we got back to the car that the doctor’s words began to to sink in. “He has seemed to go backwards when it comes to development, and I would like you to see a speech therapist. If he doesn’t improve by his next appointment I would like to look into testing him for autism.”
Her words kept repeating over and over in my head. My life changed in an instant when I heard those words. What was the future going to hold for my son? From there we started speech therapy, and unfortunately we did not see the progress they were looking for. Now we are looking into occupational therapy and next month…we will be starting the tests.
We haven’t received much good news in the past few months; hence, why we are going to start testing my son for autism. We have celebrated every triumph, soaked in every moment and snuggled every chance we got. I am not sure what the future holds for us as a family. But I will be damned if I don’t cherish every second I have with my son.
So, my advice to you this busy season is to know your time is worth something. Realize every free session you give out, every discount you give to fit a extra session in is precious time you are spending away from your beautiful family. Love your job but love your family more. Value your time because it is a precious gift that you can never get back.
This really hit home for me. Life is so precious and so short! We all just forget sometimes to live in the moment and embrace the ones around us, instead of just working every moment. Hugs and love to you!!
I’m so sorry that you are going through this transition in your life, Elisabeth! We are all here for you. It’s so so important to put your family first. Thank you for sharing your story and your heart. It is a huge reminder for so many of us. We will all be keeping you in our thoughts as you find out more in the months to come. <3
This is all so true! People don’t realize how much heart and soul goes into the photog business. Praying for your sweet family <3
Real and Organic transparency – beautiful.
You have a beautiful outlook and as you start down this new path I hope that you will continue to cherish each and every moment.
This is EXACTLY what I needed to read. And this is me to a T. I’m up and have a difficult time spending time during the day with my family because I’m so exhausted from editing the night before and then I’ll have a shoot that night. Thank you for this perspective and sharing your experience. I’m seriously re-thinking my business for next year because I don’t want to keep doing this each year. It’s my family that really matters!
Cherish each moment, and document with your beautiful photography
Love your family, love yourself…..love your job. But always check the order.
Thank you for sharing! Praying for your family!
Life is so full of unexpected things. I think the hardest things to overcome are always the ones that involve our children. We want to fight every battle for them. We are moms it is what we do. It is great though that you and your doctor are catching the signs early. A little hope from my own experience….my oldest son’s half brother graduated high school last year as an honor student. As a toddler they diagnosed him with sever autism. Through therapy and his mom always stepping up to battle for him and helping him learn and cope with all the stresses he has a very bright future. Keep putting family first and the rest will sort its self out <3
Protect your time. Sending you love 🙂