New Beginnings

It seems fitting to talk about fresh air and new starts with everything going on around us. I want to step outside, breathe in the fresh air, bask in the sunlight and honestly, never hear the “c-word” again. I’m sure I’m not alone there! I also reallllllly miss photographing my amazing clients and working my full time job. I can’t wait to be able to do so much of that again! For now, I want to come here to offer some encouragement and talk from my heart <3

For a lot of us, life has quite frankly been flipped upside down. One day things are “normal,” and in some ways monotonous. You wake up, get dressed, hit the door and get on your way… to daycare, work, maybe add in a stop at your favorite coffee shop as you go. Possibly with a decent amount of rush involved. You did what you needed to do to get through the days and make it to the weekend, or whenever your chance to slow down and breathe would come.

Now, you find yourself waking up on some random day in March and you’ve found that pretty much nothing is the same and it is so far out of your control it’s not even funny. There’s more slow than there is rush. There’s more breathing than chaos. Few people are questioning who invented the 5 day work week and 2 day weekend because now, for a lot of us, we are kind of living that in a super strange way. I’ll admit there’s a lot of opportunity to sulk in the midst of a really weird and sucky situation and I have let myself live there at times, but I have also realized there is an opportunity to soak in the good… and y’all, there is a LOT of good here.

P E R S P E C T I V E

For me, on a “normal” week, I would struggle to find the balance my heart constantly craves. I want to be more present at home but also need to clock in at work. I want a clean home but when I’m not working I want to sit on the couch and snuggle my child. I thrive behind the camera but want to spend time learning and growing and improving things behind the scenes. On a “normal” week there’s just not enough time to do all of that. Honestly, nobody could have predicted a drastic pause on life like this and in a lot of ways, it has been really great.

I have been able to accomplish behind the scenes things that I have wanted to do for a long time here at Ashley Dorton Photography. I have been able to organize and tidy things around my home that have been cluttered and disorganized for longer than I’d like to admit. I have been able to soak up so much more time with my daughter Reagan than I get during all the hustle and bustle of a normal week. She turned 2 during all of this and we had to forego her perfectly planned party and celebrate with some of our closest family… which was an enjoyable time with people we cherish! I’m realizing areas that I spend a lot of money on that I’ve had to cut back on while I haven’t been able to work or do photography, which is a blessing because I have realized I am doing just fine without spending money on those things! My mind is more clear, my sleep habits are healthier. The list could continue on…

Friends, I am sharing the same fear of uncertainty many of you are. I am feeling the worry and stress, too. But I am also choosing to find the good, and I hope you will too. There is a lot of it here <3 Go and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air and rest in the fact that better days are coming, but that good ones are already here!

Be blessed, stay healthy, and commit to taking some of the good from this slow down with you into your new beginning after all of this! Virtual hugs are coming your way right now and I hope to give real ones to many of you once I can!

Xoxo,

Ashley