a peek into my journal and onto my doorstep

chris and i had dinner with an amazing photographer named jeff holt this week. he inspired me to look inward. as i approach the anniversary of my first year in business, i’ve been spending time thinking about what pictures i really want to take and who i really want to be as a photographer. on this quest i was reading my journal from a couple of years ago and stumbled on this entry. (background: when i went back to school to study sign language i had a part time job at anthropologie.) 

I had to work from 10-6 yesterday. Anthropolgie has abandoned summer for fall even though the warm sun tells us it’s not quite time. Those shoppers who wish to cling to summer days can head to the sale room filled with strappy tanktops and breezy skirts at half the price they were in May. No sweaters allowed.

Those employees who wish to keep their jobs, head to the sale room to straighten strappy tanktops and breezy skirts. As I did this, I noticed a curious onlooker in the shape of a 4 year old girl I later came to know as Lucy staring up at me. Our brief conversation went like this:

Lucy: Do you work here?

Me: (smiling) I do.

Lucy: I like your voice.

Me: Thank you, I like yours too. 

Lucy: (squeezing her tiny body into the rack of clothes)Will you pretend that I’m a beautiful dress and that you’re putting away clothes and then you find me?

I obliged. We played that game three times. Lucy was a beautiful dress, then a beautiful necklace, and then a beautiful chair. Yes, a chair. I smiled shaking my head as I walked away realizing that I’m 27 years older than her but our hearts share the same desires – to be beautiful and sought after. She also wanted an ice cream cone with sprinkles. Yeah, we could so be friends.

i don’t have a great reason for sharing this story except that when i read it and relived  it, i loved it even more. i hope on this hot, summer day lucy feels beautiful. and i hope she’s eating ice cream with extra sprinkles.

and because i know you came here to see a picture, i wanted to share this beautiful surprise that was on my front steps last week. it was left with a thank you note from one of my brides. i have the best clients in the world, of this i am certain.