Friday, February 24, 2012

The doors we open & close each day decide the lives we live

The intent of this blog was not to only post major events & changes in my life. It was meant to share fun images of sessions & weddings & little interesting tidbits! Unfortunately, this last year had gotten away from me & I only posted BIG things & did not post them often... We are in the midst of many changes at Serendipity & among them, a new blog. And a new resolve to post more often! In the meantime, a post of a major life change for me:

Many of you know that I have been an RN for @ 18 years. When I first started dabbling in photography @ 11 or 12 years ago, I was a full time pediatric-neonatal RN. As I developed my business, I was able to cut back my hours at the hospital to part time and then to contingent several years ago. It was nice to have the flexibility to work occasionally while developing my skills & building the client base of my business. I have taken things slowly over the years & pushed "multitasking" to the limits.

Wednesday was my last day working as an RN. I recently made the decision to resign my position at the hospital. With so many changes on the dock for my business, I felt it was the time. I need to focus on the "business" side of things (UGH) and continually improve my photography skills. Having Courtney as a full time employee now & making so many changes in the business will take all my energies & focus. I feel so blessed to be able to do what I have a true passion for.

While I always enjoyed my work as a pediatric- neonatal RN, I recently felt like I wasn't doing the job justice. Working only 1-2 shifts per month, I wasn't feeling comfortable with my skills & abilities. I have such great respect for all the nurses I worked with - they are truly amazing & gifted at what they do! Their devotion & passion to the kids & families they serve every day is admirable & inspiring.

I look forward to the experiences my photography business will bring me - I Love my babies, brides, seniors & families that allow me to be play such an important part in their lives.
I will never, however, forget all the experiences I have had as an RN over the past 18 years. There are kids that hold a special place in my heart - those that were valiant & fought ridiculous battles with things children should never have to deal with, those that were just adorable & funny and those that, sadly, we were not able to save.

More so, I will always cherish the friendships I made over the years. My two "besties" in life are friends I have made through nursing school & working as an RN.
I have so many great friends that I have shared laughter & tears (lots of them, if you know me) over the years. I had the same amazing manager for the entire 18 years as an RN. Donna hired me as a new grad & had the faith in me that I could handle Pediatric ICU as a "rookie." I have so much respect for you all. Keep doing what you do!

Thank you for allowing me to share this wonderful life change with you all & most of all, thank you for your support & encouragement!

"The doors we open & close each day decide the lives we live."