The meaning of goodbye

January 13, 2012 will mark 3 years, 3 months and 6 days since my first day at Kim Ponsky Photography, but it will also be my last.

I was 22 years old when I started working here and I never imagined that after 3 years I would be where I am today. I had a degree with no job from a prestigious university and yet I thought that I would be handed a job on a silver platter. That wasn’t going to happen, especially not in June of 2008. It was probably one of the worst times to graduate but I knew everything would fall into place as it should. No matter the company, the city or the job, I was determined to find something that made me happy. And I did.

It has been an incredible journey, intellectually and personally. Aside from learning the great uses of Photoshop, more than I ever learned in college, I have experienced the innocence of children, the unique and special interactions amongst families, the joy that photos bring, that sometimes it’s okay to throw a ball at your boss’s head if it brings a smile to a child’s face and that even adults find poop jokes funny. But all kidding aside, I have also grown as an individual, recognizing my insecurities and finding a way to move past them. I am truly happy with who am and proud of how far I’ve come. But the truth matter is that sometimes we owe it to those around us for helping us along the way.

Kim,

I gotta be honest, you have exponentially grown as a photographer the last few years and I know that you will continue to be the best that you can be. There is not one person I’ve spoken your name to that has not known who you are and that is worthy of recognition alone. You have taught me tricks of the trade and allowed me to expand my love of photography. You have brought me into your family and have introduced me to some amazing and wonderful people. You have been there for me through happy days and even some sad. For being a cool boss and a great friend, Thank you!

To the clients of Kim Ponsky Photography,

You have become my friends and my extended family. I have come to see your families grow and celebrate joyous occasions. I have seen your children laugh and sometimes even cry. But the best thing about my job is getting to hand you your finished photos. There is not one photo that goes through Photoshop treatments without my love and care. Whether you’ve ordered some stand alone prints, composites, albums, or holiday cards, I enjoy making them each picture perfect. Sometimes I like them so much I would love to keep them for myself :) So, thank you for allowing me to be a part of capturing the special moments in your families’ lives.

If there is anything I have learned with saying goodbye it’s that it goes hand in hand with saying “thank you”. Goodbyes wouldn’t be so hard if we didn’t care. Whomever we say goodbye to has probably impacted our life in some way and we owe it to them to express our gratitude. So THANK YOU!

Don’t worry I won’t be leaving our beloved city of Cleveland, I’m just going up the road only a few miles to Associated Estates to pursue my passion in design. So keep smiling because I’ll be checking in!

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened”- Dr. Seuss