A CANDID LETTER ABOUT NOT WAITING
I love writing blog posts about helpful tips and information that will enrich the lives of pets and their owners. I generally keep things pretty light-hearted and I don’t typically write posts like this. But, something recently hit me pretty hard and I want to share my thoughts. I knew when I started Beloved Pet and Equine Photography that I was doing something meaningful. My dog means the world to me. She makes me laugh, smile (and sometimes cry… like the night she spent in the emergency vet). I can’t imagine the day she’s not here gracing us with her hound-like singing voice; reminding me that it’s past her dinner time and waking me up by pawing my head at 6am. But, inevitably there will be a day when that time comes. She truly is a part of our family. I am sure many people reading this will understand. They always have a piece of our hearts.
What hit me recently though, is how much we don’t know. We don’t know what the future holds. We don’t know what tomorrow will look like. I once (a long time ago now) created a photo collection called “Make Someday Today.” (I’ll post a photo from the series below). It had to do with the concept that if we keep putting things off in life, they may never happen. So, I challenged people to think about something important to them and instead of saying “I’ll do this someday” start saying “I’ll do this today.” Then I photographed them with a sign declaring that they would “Make Someday Today.”
Recently I was in touch with a client I photographed last year. I loved photographing the family and their 3 year old dog. So, when she contacted me this year I was surprised to say the least that their dog was no longer with them. I have experienced this before with clients with older dogs. It’s always hard. But, this hit me differently. The pup was only 3 years old. Tears came to my eyes and I appreciated so much all the time I have had with my dog Hannah. It reminded me exactly why I am in this business. As she explained how grateful they are to have had those photos done, I realized even more why it’s important to make the most of today and not put things off like this until it’s too late.
One day, having images and video of loved ones, along with memories that will forever be on our hearts, will be all that we have. We truly don’t know when that day will be. I wish I had more to remember my pets that have passed on from when I was young, along with the people in my life. This is why I felt compelled to write this blog post. My encouragement is, if something is important to you, don’t wait too long before you “make someday today.”
