Things to be thankful for.

Most of us only think about being thankful for things around Thanksgiving, let's be honest, between work, family, a social life, and your own schedule most of us just aren't focused on reflecting. I've been doing just that the past few days and boy do I have a lot to be thankful for!

Not to say my life is perfect and blissful all the time (don't I wish!) I just wanted to say aloud all the things I'm grateful for. And what a great month for it with Easter approaching.

First and foremost, my husband recently was asked to come along on a dive expedition to Weeki Wachee cave system. For those who don't know, W.W. is pretty much akin to the Mt. Everest of cave diving. It's deep, very deep, the flow is insane, and is still being explored and mapped (hence the expeditions). My husband was very excited to be going along to check the place out and was gearing up to dive with the last group that day. That dive however, never happened. Unfortunately, one of the members of the team that had entered the water previously didn't make it back safely to the surface. A poor young man (just 2 years older than my husband) lost his life that day. Very sad news, and I send my thoughts and condolences now to his friends, family and team members. I enjoy cave diving very much, though it is risky, we cave divers must each weigh out the risks and benefits before each dive. The kind of dives these divers are doing are amazing albeit extreme and can come with great rewards, and sometimes great sacrifice as well.  I just hope that those effected by his loss find solace and peace in some way to help them through this.

I am also thankful that I've been able to do quite a bit of shooting in the past few weeks. Some underwater and some above.  Being able to create art really restores my soul, be it painting, drawing, or photographing.

I am waiting on a few big things as well. First, the magazine I submitted to should be out in the next week or two. I'm really excited to see the cover and article and hold it in my hands! I'll be sure to share it as soon as I have my copy. :) I'm also waiting on my passport. I'll be heading to Mexico this summer to do some cave diving, this is also a photo expedition for me. The first time I've been anywhere outside the U.S. other than Canada, so this should be very awesome! A lot of big things going on to be thankful for...

Really though, I'm even thankful this month for having had food poisoning. I know what you're thinking....how can you be thankful for being sick!?  I tend to take for granted that I'm able bodied and do some pretty amazing things. Sometimes it takes a challenge or bump in the road to make you remember not to take anything for granted....sometimes it takes loss. I hope that all of you will remember this and keep it in mind as we approach the holy holiday of Easter.