I never thought that...

…when I rebranded Suzanne Simmons Photography almost a year ago that I would be ordering a matching face mask that I would then wear for every session.

…I wouldn’t be able to offer up a hug for my clients at the end of their session or wedding! And that I would miss those hugs as much as I do. For someone who is a self proclaimed “hugger”, having so few of them over the past 10 months has been downright depressing. I need hugs!

…I would complete my second graduate degree largely during a pandemic. In fact, I finished the second half of my Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree from January to August of 2020. As if going back to school again wasn’t stressful enough!

…Bri, Alan, and I would spend so many months living, learning, and working from our home together. Managing all of the schedules to make that happen has been challenging to say the least! Although Bri and I went “back to the bricks” of our respective schools in the fall, she isn’t back five days a week yet and is therefore spending part of her week doing school from home.

…we would end 2020 without our beloved dog, Digby, with us. Digby came to us as a rescue from Arkansas in 2008 when he was 7 months old. Since then, he taught Alan and me how to be parents, kept us company, drove us crazy, cleaned our floors (and, eventually, Bri’s face and toes), kept us safe from delivery drivers, and made us laugh a ton. Unfortunately, he suffered a sudden downturn in his health in mid-October and was gone within 48 hours. We have not recovered. And I doubt that we ever will. I miss my little old man. (I am now even more thankful for sessions that include pups so I can get some furry cuddles.)

…our grief would be compounded by the lost of two other pets in our neighborhood within the same month. However, in our shared grief, we have found deeper connections with our friends as we mourn our guys. We now spend time with the donkey next door as we keep him company after the loss of his brother. Although I miss human hugs, there is something special about a donkey snuggle.

…despite social distancing, friendships with my “pod” would become stronger. As they say, quality over quantity. I spent most of last summer with one of my best friends as we watched our kids grow, countless hours on video chats with two coworkers, and enjoy morning coffee with my neighbor and the aforementioned donkey. I am grateful for my “pod family” and their ability to keep me sane (most of the time).

I could go on and on. 2020 was one heck of a wild card in many more ways. I have regained my focus now that 2021 is under way (and my birthday is right around the corner to mark the start of a new chapter). I am thankful for my family’s health and that we have each other. I know that things have been a bit quiet around “here” but, suffice to say, that will be changing. I am looking forward to seeing what 2021 has in store for us and hope that there are “fair winds and following seas” as we navigate the year.

xoxo,
Susie