In an instant—everything changed.
It wasn't until I️ got the email from the school saying the kids were going to be e-learning for the rest of the year when it hit me that everything I'd been planning was up in smoke. This was definitely going to affect the hospitals, too; I just knew it. How long would this last? How long until the hospitals would be back to normal? Ever? I️ had some soul searching to do.
This was the moment I️ had been waiting for. My comeback to the photography world. My comeback to my community in my favorite capacity - documenter of life.
Why I️ Stepped Back In The First Place
When I️ had my last baby on Leap Day 2016, I️ knew the best thing I️ could do for my clients and for my family was to step back from birth photography. Needing to go at a moment's notice was proving to be incredibly difficult with three kids under the age of 5. How was I️ going to make this work at 3 am while my husband works overnights? No, I️ knew what I️ had to do. I️ wrote an email to my clients.
'Client' sounds so ... sterile. These aren't just my clients. They've become my friends. They're more than just a number, more than just a name. I've been present in some of the most vulnerable, most cherished moments they'll ever experience. I️ could feel the loss I️ was about to fully experience by stepping back. I️ wrote my email and thankfully, I received a warm response. They seemed to understand. The proverbial doors shuttered.
Meanwhile
The last almost five years have been so full for me. We moved back to our hometown of Granger, Indiana. We bought a house that I've done my best to turn into a warm, welcoming haven for my family. My kids have been growing like weeds and filling their heads with all kinds of useful knowledge - like how to read, various types of science experiments, and simple math that I️ can still thankfully understand. We've taken trips to make memories together. We celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary over the summer. Life has been wonderful - and full. I️ made the right choice.
Every once in awhile, though, a past client (seriously, we need a better word) would reach out to me because they were having another baby. SO much joy and excitement - "OF COURSE I️ will be there!" is what often came out of my mouth. And with every photography session, every birth, between that last email and now, the desire to come back grew stronger.
This is the end of Part One. I️f you'd like to keep reading, click here to do so.