Stimulate Your Relationship With Your Stimulus Check
Ok. How's everybody doing? Y'all hanging in there? I have been surprised at how much I'm loving about this quarantine life. I have also been surprised that my mood around it changes...well, hourly. I can be on a walk, breathing in fresh air, enjoying the sunshine on my face one minute, and the next find myself lost in scary thoughts, yanking at my dog's leash, annoyed that he's stopping to fake-pee again! While I am absolutely someone who feels her feelings, I'm not typically this dang moody. I feel like I'm playing emotional hop-scotch. Anyone else?
One thing that has struck me through this season of our lives, is how similar it is to how photographer's compose an image. When I am in the studio with a client, I am dedicated to finding and bringing forth beauty. I am composing everything from the angle of the body to the focus of the lens to highlight what is beautiful and unique. The funny thing is, the more I search for beauty, the more comes to the surface. I'll find myself focusing on a gorgeous pair of eyes, only to see her smile is stunning, or her hair is cascading just so. Or I'll focus on the light on the curve of her lower back, and notice a pretty sprinkling of freckles or the stunning color of her skin.
I think my daily life is working the same way. Whatever I decide to focus on will multiply. So if I'm focused on how disappointed I am that I have to keep rescheduling clients, I suddenly become worried that I could be shut down longer than 2-3 months….and then I worry about what that would look like....and then I wonder how my grandparents are and worry they have had too much exposure..........and on and on it goes. BUT. If I can compose my mental image a bit, it can expose more beauty and have a huge impact on my emotional health. Many times that starts with gratitude. I'm so thankful for this absolutely gorgeous weather, and I can't believe I have a beautiful path behind my house I get to walk...and my dog has lost weight, which will totally help his arthritis....and it's so fun to do a Zoom call with my whole family because we are all rarely that focused (I mean there are 10 of us after all!).......and on and on and up and up. It's not about pretending things are better than they are. It's about recognizing that even in the midst of challenging times, there is still beauty, joy and even peace.
Maybe this has taken a toll on the closest relationships around you. I know I have had moments of pure gratitude for my husband...right alongside moments where I just want to lock him in a closet for an hour or so. And for those of you with kids...let's just say I'm not sure I could do what you guys are doing every day. At least not without a team. And a vineyard. Or maybe this has just taken a toll on your relationship with yourself. I get that too. I am going to straight up hug-tackle my waxist/hair stylist/manicurist/etc when they reopen. Regardless of the emotional state you're finding yourself in, if you've never done a boudoir session before, I cannot imagine a better time than after what we've all been through. It's a great way to infuse some flirtatious romance into your relationship or just celebrate who you are. And we're still running our April Anniversary special, so you'll have a $200 credit to apply at your reveal if you book in April! (Your appointment can be booked for any date in the year 2020.)
I hope you're all happy and healthy...or at least healthy! And don't worry! We will make it through this! One step/smile/thought/bottle of wine at a time...:-D