Next Chapter

Dear Readers,

So I don't really talk about myself that much on this blog. I'd rather post pictures than talk about myself, and besides, I'm not as clever with words as some of the other fantastic bloggers I follow.

But for a while now I've been wanting to express something inside of me. Something that will probably take the form of loose sentences, ill grammar, run-ons and fragments, and all those lovely grammatical mistakes that so conveniently convey exactly what I'm thinking yet make my English teacher shudder.

To begin...

I'm sure there's not a person who has not heard the cliche "new chapter of life" when sitting at a graduation ceremony or attending a graduation party. But when you think about it, the phrase "a new chapter of life" is such a perfect description. There's the chapter of infancy, the chapter of childhood, the chapter of being a scholar, and then the chapter of adulthood - the chapter I am on the verge of beginning. All the chapters combined in the end make the book, the book of my life. The awesome thing about reading and writing my life story is the fact that I don't know what the ending is.  It may be humorous, a tragedy, or as simple as a Little House on the Prairie book. 

I guess what I'm really getting at is that I don't have a clue what the rest of my story is like. I haven't a clue what mysteries or adventures lay ahead in my adult chapter, or how it "all turns out in the end." What I DO know is what has already been written - infancy, childhood, scholar. What I do know is that I love my life story so far. What I do know is that I would never have had such a wonderful story without the help of some other characters in the story...

God. He has definitely been the backbone of my story; the underlying thread that is omnipresent in every circumstance that has happened to me. Without His saving grace, everlasting and unfailing love, gift of joy and peace I would be a mess. A complete mess. I am so thankful for all that He has done for me, but most importantly saving my soul so that I may be fearless to whatever lies ahead with the knowledge that He will never leave or forsake me.

My Parents. Two of the most wonderful people in this whole wide world - because I belong to them. Two people who have had such a big part in raising me to who I am today, who have taught me all that I know, who have loved me with all their hearts. I can never thank you enough, Dad and Mom, for making me who I am. I love you.

My Siblings. Yes, we've had fights. Yes, we've had squabbles and arguments. And yes, we've had many a good memory together. I love you Erik, Josh, Peter, and Emma. Thank you for being the awesomest siblings ever. I love each and every one of you, and I'm proud to point you out to people and tell them I'm related to you.

My Niece and Nephew. You'd never thunk that two people who are ages younger than you can teach you so much. But Ezri and Roxas have. They've taught me how much a child can love their aunt. They've reminded me what it's like to be little again. And they've loved me unconditionally. I love you two shooo much!

My Dear, Dear Friends. Definitely one of the biggest contributors to my story. I tend to scoff whenever I hear the comment that "homeschoolers don't have friends." If that were ever true, I would miss out on knowing the most awesome people ever. I would miss out on amazing memories and fantastic times, and there would be a giant hole in my heart from the lack of loving you. Whether I've known you since the diaper age, through Trinity, through Church, or just met you at summer camp last year, know that each and every one of you has a special place in my heart. We've done so much together - late night chats, excursions in different cities, parties, club meetings, emails, letters, get-togethers, coffee dates, photoshoots - I've had a blast. You've taught me so much - how to love, how to forgive, how to be me.

The Parents of My Dear, Dear Friends. I could never understand it when I watch TV shows and movies where the teenagers say, "Oh my parents are so weird!!" I guess it's because all the parents of all my friends are so awesome I never could understand those poor people on the TV screen. Mr. and Mrs. _____, you've done so much to encourage me in everything I've pursued. You've complimented me, you've shown me where I can improve, and you talk to me like a grown-up instead of a teenager. Thank you a million times over.

Photography Clients. I can honestly say that every single person who has hired me to take their pictures has been a complete joy to work with. Every single photo session has aided in my photography growth. Every single photo session was a blast to complete. Thank you for hiring me!

My Blog Readers. I always love it when I get a comment from someone I've never met before on Blogland and I love meeting fellow teen photographers who have a passion for photography too. It's especially exciting when I check my stats and see someone from Ukraine or Australia has checked out my blog. It just makes me appreciate all that the Internet can do connecting people from around the globe together. So a big thanks to all you people in Germany, England, Thiland, the Philippians, and Spain - you make my day!

So after that long schpell, I suppose you know that all along I've just wanted to say Thank You. Thank you all for contributing so much to my story. For making my life so far the best it could ever be.

I shall miss you all. The next time I hail, it shall be from college.
In Christ,
Chrissy <><