Here’s a secret, I did

I have a confession to make this year… ready for it? I didn’t take my annual family photos. For the first time in 17 years, I skipped it. Every year, without fail, I’ve made it a priority. Whether we’re home or traveling, capturing these moments has been my tradition. I usually hire a photographer to document these precious memories that turn into holiday cards, keepsakes, and reminders of all that the year held. But this year, life had other plans.

It started with me accidentally delaying our photos, I forgot I hadn’t traveled this year, lol. ‘No problem’, I thought, I can squeeze them in just before the chaos of the holiday season for all my families! Life had a different plan, my grandma took a turn in health and within one week of her decline she passed and it was the weekend I had my photos scheduled. Trying to still make it work and reschedule the session while also rescheduling all my clients from that weekend (thank you all for being so gracious in rescheduling and accommodating), I just couldn’t make it happen.

Despite my best efforts to reschedule and fit everything in, the weight of grief, a packed calendar, and the need to show up for my clients made me realize I had to let this one thing go. So, I made the hard choice to reuse a photo from a previous year. Blasphemy, I know! But sometimes, life pushes us to adjust, to put our well-being first, and to let go of the “musts” we place on ourselves. Instead of stressing myself out and extending myself more than I already was, I made the difficult decision to not take photos this year and that’s okay. You know why? I have taken a photo every year for the last 15 years without missing a beat. Let’s be honest, it’s never easy planning and scheduling for photos and always stressful, but always worth it. This year was different, I’m still grieving and just trying to survive my busiest time of year and needed to remove something off my plate.

So, here’s my message to you: it’s okay to skip a year if you need to. Really. We put so much pressure on ourselves to make it happen year after year, especially when kids are growing so fast, and it feels like we’re capturing time slipping by. But if life is too heavy, or you’re simply stretched too thin, give yourself the grace to pause. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be the holidays. Capture later when you are able and you will still have those memories and age to cherish as they grow. And for your Christmas card? Use an older photo, don’t use a photo at all, or just skip it.

While I find this one of the most important things to do for me and my business, I needed to put me first in one area of my life. This year, my holiday photos or lack there of is dedicated to my grandma. It’s not the year I planned, but it’s the year I have. And sometimes, that’s enough!

KrisAldo Over The Years!