Family Night...here I come!

I know I've been on a Jasmine kick, but jeez...I couldn't possibly fit all of the glittery points of wisdom I took from her session into one teeny, tiny post. So, here I go again.

Jasmine was asked by an attendee, "How much of your success do you attribute to your husband?" She quickly responded, "A LOT." Beyond his emotional and tangible support of her business, she felt that the depth of love they shared as soul mates only further equipped her to uniquely chronicle the love shared between a bride and a groom on their wedding day with depth and sincerity.

I found myself thinking about my husband and yes, got all warm and fuzzy inside in a rare episode of Katy mushness (and yes, mushness is a word). Although, truth be told, I think my got-it-all-together, tough exterior has warmed over the years, especially as I dig deeper into my art, and I might actually be more mushy than I think. Suddenly, I find myself giggling more, squealing over clients, and yes, I have developed a quite unhealthy obsession with the color pink. And reality TV stars in case you hadn't heard (watched the last episode of Real World this morning while blow drying my hair! Can I just say...Ryan...ummm...PSYCHO!).

Anywho, back to Jeff. My husband has an incredible capacity to relax. I am sure that surprises most of you as to what I choose first to describe my husband, but honestly, it is inherently his best feature. His life is so supremely uncomplicated that it blows my mind. Could we be more polar opposites with me as a crazed, obsessive-compulsive, overstimulated, overachieving stress ball? Jeff brings me back to center. In his quiet way, he demands that I slow down and look at life every now and again. Sit back, relax, breathe. Nobody will die if the house isn't clean, nobody will die if I take 5 minutes to kick back on the couch and close my eyes. Take your time, we'll get there when we get there. I can't say he is always successful in reigning me in, and I sometimes eye him with envy, but I do know he has saved me from spontaneous combustion into flames and has served as a wonderful example of what it means to be a parent and to remember to just sit down and play sometimes. Be silly.

And let me be clear, his calm quiet is not to be mistaken for weakness. My Mom said within minutes of meeting him the first time that she could see his power to reign me in and soften my rough exterior. I don't mean this in a controlling way, but any strong females out there get what I mean in that it takes a certain man to be the one that can persuade me to submission. And yes, I believe in faith that my husband is the man of the house and I should submit to him in devoted partnership (although I bet he'd laugh if he heard me say I submit...tee hee. Hey, it's a work in progress).

I am rambling, I know. I tend to be all over the place when I explain Jeff, all the amazing things about him and what they do to me. But know this, I wholeheartedly echo Jasmine. Finding your soul mate opens a whole new creative world when it comes to photography and chronicling the life and love shared by others. I believe my creativity radiates from my core, which is him. And my daughter. My wedding pictures reflect someone who knows true love and recognizes and celebrates it in others like kindred spirits joining together as those who know what it means to love and be loved. My portrait pictures, especially of children, reflect my life and love of my daughter, commitment as a mother and expectations for what those little bodies will become as they grow and develop. I see potential in their spirit and in their eyes and as a reflection of my own daughter, who is one of the most empathetic, tender-hearted, pure in faith dreamers I have ever met, know that having the opportunity to see who someone is well before they understand it themselves is a remarkable and rare blessing.

And with that tribute to my Jeff and my Emily, I celebrate Friday. It's Family Night!