Through The Lens

In my October 28th post, I talked about how my etsy card and gift shop came to be. It happened at a time in my life when I knew something was missing, but couldn't figure out what that was. While looking at my youngest son's photographs one day, the idea of making greeting cards using those photos came to me....and the rest is history....so they say.

Today I would like to share with you some of the photographs that have inspired me to do what I am doing today, and tell you a little bit about my son, the photographer.

My youngest son, Matt, is a third grade teacher in Telluride, Colorado. He is also the young man behind the lens for the majority of our photos. Living in the mountains has provided him with so many wonderful opportunities to take gorgeous photos. He also loves to travel, and he always has his camera with him. In the winter, Matt can be found hiking up the mountains and snowboarding down the mountains. Telluride gets a lot of snow, and I mean a lot. It starts snowing in the fall and is still snowing late in the spring.

Matt grew up in northern Illinois where there really isn't a lot to look at. He is in awe of what he sees on a daily basis in Telluride. He told me one time that he feels like he is living a dream and that sometimes he feels like he is on a 365 day vacation! How nice would that be?

It takes a long time for the snow to melt in the mountains at 9000 feet, but when it does he changes gears and you will find him biking, hiking, kayaking, camping and rock climbing. The picture on the right is actually a picture of Matt bouldering. Bouldering is when you climb huge rocks without any type of equipment. You lay a thick mat on the ground under the boulder...in case you lose your grip! It's pretty awesome to watch and requires a great deal of strength. There are a lot of sports I would like to try...bouldering is not one of them!

Matt also rock climbs. I try not to think about that one too much, because as a mom, I worry enough about my kids without knowing they are hanging off the sides of mountains. Matt's constant companion is his border collie, Luna. You will see her in some of our cards. She is wonderful to photograph...such a beautiful dog and the best friend anyone could ever want. Luna goes everywhere with Matt and his friends. She loves the out of doors and Matt said he would feel guilty leaving her behind when they head out to snowboard, climb, hike or camp. She is definitely a dog that loves adventure! She even has her own backpack now so she can help carry her own food, water and dishes.

Things that I would walk right by and never even notice, Matt sees and photographs. I think seeing things like he does is a gift. Being able to capture those things on film is a talent. I truly believe that everyone has a gift. I think some of us just have trouble finding what that thing is that we have been blessed with. I am a firm believer in exposing children to as many opportunities as possible, to give them that chance to find what it is that really brings them joy.

Some people don't find their gift until later in life, but the nice thing is that it is never to late to enjoy doing something that you were meant to do. You can take your gift and make it your life's work, or like many people, you can use it as more of a hobby. It just seems that when you are doing what you are meant to do, life is so wonderful. What is your gift?