Six Peeps

February 19, 2010

This man, and every one around you can change your life – if you can listen hard enough.

It’s amazing how one person can change your life without really having to say a single word.

Recently a former groom of mine was diagnosed with stage 4 gist cancer.

Of all the grooms I had worked with, Matt has really impacted my life, and no I am not just saying that.  I remember the first time I talked to Matt on a telephone conference.  His Texas drawl had such a kind vibe, reminded me of my Uncle Tom in Texas who I have always loved for that same reason… I knew that I wanted to be his wedding photographer.  After the wedding, Matt and Sherry came out to Denver to order some prints.  They treated Jenny (who was my fiance at the time) and I to an incredible sushi dinner and we were out so late, but it didn’t matter, I was amongst GOOD people.  And those are the kinds of people that I can hang out with all night long.

I’m not much of a church goer.  But recently I have become pretty spiritual.  I believe in God no doubt!  And I am realizing that he sends people (good AND bad!) into our lives for many different reasons.  (and Matt is by FAR, one of the good ones).  And for EVERYONE in our lives, I personally believe that God is trying to teach us a few lessons, big and small, here and there and everywhere.  And ALL DAY LONG

On lesson that we should ALL know by now is this… and it amazes me how many people go about their lives, never even considering… Life is a GIFT.  That no matter how hard you kick and scream, you are NOT in control. I believe that God uses special people like Matt to speak to us, to try to wake us UP from acting like we deserve so many things in life. Fact is that we don’t deserve ANYTHING. Life is a gift, and no, we did not earn it.  We don’t even deserve it!  We should all be incredibly thankful. It’s a gift and we need to recognize that.

I go trail running as much as I can, it reminds me how great and beautiful life is.  For me personally, it takes me out of the cloudy confusion of life and back to the basics, the fresh air and beautiful earth, it just can’t be replaced by any man-made material goods.  And now it’s becoming quite rare.  We need to appreciate the simple things in life…

…And if anything: live well, laugh often, and love much.

Matt, if you are reading this, first of all, I want to tell you that you are really an inspiration to me.  This situation you’re in… It’s impacting me on a personal level, as I am sure many others around you. As I went through your wedding photos, I realized that while I do appreciate life to the fullest, I have been missing something very important:  Between Living Well and Laughing Often and Loving much…I don’t think I have loved much. Lately I have been very caught up in everything other than love. And by that, I have turned my back on probably one of the most important lessons in life: love much.

You can tell, looking at these photos that Matt loves MUCH. He and Sherry are the most awesome couple and their kids are something to be proud of as well!

Sending positive vibes to Matt and his family during these hard times. Matt is about to take on a new clinical trial for treatment. I’m sure it’s easier said than done, but I know the kind of person that Matt is and I know that he’s a fighter and a positive one at that. Get through it and next time, sushi’s on me!  Heck I might even have to come out to Amarillo, Texas! I love you guys!

February 19, 2010 |