In response to me saying how tired I was, PJ looked me straight in the eye and said, “Daddy, when you are tired, you should lay down and go to sleep.” It struck me funny that my 3 year old realizes that everyone needs to take care of themselves first and foremost.
Michelle has always been good about asking me what I need and allowing me time to figure out what I want out of life. I remember first walking into Michelle’s home and seeing a framed painting that was inscribed with the words of Rumi, “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” And as our romance continued and our time together became more and more regular, I saw this statement in it’s frame again and again. For me, deciding that I wanted to be a full time, self employed wedding photographer was a decision that took years to come to terms with. It was a very scary (I had no idea how to run a business before I started all this) leap of faith decision.
PJ’s little quip hits on a point that Michelle has been making with me for many years. She has encouraged me to figure out what I need to be happy by taking care of myself, exploiting my talents and staying focused once I make a decision. Doing what you love and exploiting talents and narrowing motivation in the direction that supports life goals seems like an obvious way to pick a career – at least it does in retrospect. Almost as obvious as, “…when you are tired, you should lay down and go to sleep.”
San Luis Obispo Photographer
