Guest Blogger: Whitney Lane

I am very excited to introduce you to a special artist today...my cousin Whitney.  She became a photographer just in the last few years and its something we've been able to share as a common passion.  We talk about our dreams and our goals and she pushes and inspires me.  She is also a full-time volunteer minister, which has taken her to some spectacular locations around the world helping people learn about the Bible.  I am so glad she agreed to share her thoughts today on Celebrating Life Everyday.  Thank you Whitney!

A couple of days ago I was sitting on a little island that my husband, dog, and I had kayaked to up a fjord off of B.C’s coast. Sitting on a rock facing up the inlet towards the snow capped mountains, watching my best friend and puppy playing in the sunshine on the beach below I mentally took a photo and did not want to forget that moment.

I never carried a camera with me when I travelled for years. I never wanted to worry so much about having my camera that I missed the experience, the tastes, the smells, the adventures. I realized though that I have an entire photo library of images in my mind that I snapped of specific moments in time that I never wanted to forget. Photography for me started as an outlet during a difficult time in my life. I wanted to learn how to focus my attention and look for all the beauty in the world rather than the things that bring you down. It worked. I have become addicted to capturing life and history through my eyes, and having a physical representation of what I have learnt along the way.

I have learnt to see the beauty in everyone.The love a family has for their kids when they watch them create a new family on their wedding day. The love mothers have for their children by creating a home for them out of nothing in some of the world’s poorest countries. The joy on a kids face while he plays soccer with no shoes and torn clothes.

I believe that celebrating life everyday means that you have to live it. Never think doing something is a pipe dream, or limit the experiences you can have. If you want to do something enough you can, it depends on where you put your priorities. It is amazing what we can accomplish. So whether you decide to learn how to fish, buy a tennis racket, book a flight to an awe inspiring destination, or just learn how to cook creme brulee. Living a life you can look back on with satisfaction is completely up to you. Looking for the joy and those photographic moments that you never want to forget can be everyday. How will you know that you don’t love something unless you try it? Often it is the things your most afraid of that turn out to be the most worthwhile.

Find Whitney Lane on the web

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