This past Sunday was Gratitude Sunday at church & I am so thankful for the reminder to not only be grateful, but to then express that gratitude.

There are so many things in life – big & small – for which I should be thankful. And many things I am thankful for, but I am not always the best at taking the time to really say it. Life gets busy, business gets busy, my mind gets busy. And then before you know it, I haven’t said anything. Haven’t written the thank you note.

But I realized that in reality, it shouldn’t ever be too late to say thank you. Sure, it may be a little awkward based on social customs/accepted timelines, but the thought is still pure & worth sharing.

So over the next few weeks I want to take some time to publicly thank some people who have been instrumental in creating or encouraging a huge part of who I am – a photographer.

To Mrs. Kerbow,

I didn’t know that when I signed up for Journalism at Kingwood High School that it would end up changing my life’s direction. You saw something in me in those first few class days, and your encouragement to say that you wanted me in Yearbook on your staff instead of in that beginner class planted a seed. Making Yearbook so much fun & allowing me to step out with a camera opened me up to photography in more than a snapshot sense.

The year-end award for best photography in HS yearbook isn’t exactly critical acclaim or a resounding accolade. But it made me realize that photography was something I was good at. I could be a photographer. And that helped spur my decision to go into the College of Mass Communications as I began my career at Texas Tech. And when I had to make the choice of a major, it gave me confidence to choose Photocommunications.

Thank you for creating the base for one of my life’s passions. Thank you for building the foundation of my skill. And thank you for the gift of beginning to believe in myself as a photographer.

It just feels right that I’m now a photographer in Kingwood. Right where you helped me start.

Thank you.