Life throws you spitballs. You know, the now illegal baseball pitch where pitchers used to spit on the ball and coat it with dirt to make it less visible to the batter? Yeah, life throws those at you when you aren’t expecting it and, man, do you ever not see them coming. So what do spitballs have to do with Katie?

Well, Katie and I had already her headshot portraits on the schedule for a little bit. She was just obtaining her Real Estate license and wanted to start off on a good foot. Naturally, she sought out having her headshot made as a first step to looking professional. I could already tell we would get along and was very excited for her session. The day before her session I was getting ready to go to the studio, letting my dogs out to the bathroom one last time as I always do, when that ugly spitball came flying across and changed everything.

Something was wrong with Sadie, our five year old beagle labrador mix. I had a knot in my gut telling me to call the vet. After a calm but disturbing “you need to bring her in immediately. She likely has a fatal infection” I became a whirlwind - calling my husband and updating him, rescheduling all my appointments for the day, rearranging the car to get Sadie in comfortably and trying to be calm the whole time so she, our already anxiety prone pupper, wouldn’t be even more freaked out.

Bonus pictures!! We tried getting a fun selfie with Sadie and it was a slight challenge…. Haha

Arriving to the vet, they immediately confirmed that she had a disease that typically kills within 24 to 48 hours and needed emergency surgery. * shock * Here I was thinking I was probably overthinking and overreacting only to have this spitball pitch hit me upside the head out of the blue. Not even 2 hours ago she and I had been playing and cuddling, with her wiggly self sprawling all over the place.

That’s where Katie made an impact on me that I will always remember.

In another whirlwind, I was calling around to a bunch of veterinary offices trying to find an opening while also trying to shift my clients for the next day, including Katie to another day.

When I spoke with Katie, it was hard to keep my voice steady. She showed me such compassion, asking how I was and sympathizing. Before I could even fully ask if we could reschedule, she was suggesting it, saying that I didn’t need to worry about her when I needed to take care of my puppy. Her kindness was such a comfort that day. I’ll always remember the love and grace she showed me.

It wasn’t even just that day where Katie showed exactly what kind of person she was. She checked in on Sadie’s well-being multiple times, asked how her surgery went, and was constantly engaging with the updates I was sharing with my community. She truly cared how Sadie was doing and how I was doing. That kind of love and action shows just what kind of person Katie is.

You guessed it, it doesn’t stop there. When we were able to sit down for her session, she began talking about her clients and how she wanted to help people be happy finding their home. I could tell she was eager to soak in every detail of her clients’ requests and desires and driven to not only help them find the perfect fit but make the home buying experience memorable. Her kindness and warmth just kept showing through time and time again. She really is such an incredibly kind person… it’s amazing and I’m so glad to have met her.

Now, Katie holds a special place in my heart. She was right there helping me keep the pieces together after the spitball did its damage. When I come across her headshot, I still feel that warmth and gratitude.

Behind the Scenes with Jasper & Fern | Headshots for new realtor Katie | Winston Salem Corporate Portraits

Meet Katie | Winston-Salem Photographer