(Jessica Scott | The Grand Rapids Press)

Well its been a long hiatus and I'm extremely thankful to end what seemed to be a never-ending break from the camera.
Truth be told I was all but ready to hang up the ol' Canon, write a sorrowfully goodbye letter to this blog and the craft all together. Not because I didn't love it, but, I just didn't know what else to do anymore. When you feel like every door has shut you begin to question if this was ever really meant to be. Maybe I just turned my hobby into a career when really all it should have ever been was just that. A hobby.

Then fate, God, the universe intervened. I got the phone call from Grand Rapids. They needed some help and were more than willing to take me on as another intern. Needless to say I was nervous but extremely grateful for the opportunity.

On my first full day on the job I was sent to a middle school in the city. A special education class was learning about the winter Olympics and were going to try out snowshoeing and sledding. What an experience. Most of these kids are confined to wheelchairs or simply to their own mind. It was so amazing to see them laugh, play and have fun. It was beautiful to know that for some, this was their first time sitting in a sled or being allowed to lay in the snow, build an snowman or make a snow angel. One of the resource teachers turned to me and said, "You know, if we don't get them out, they'll never get a chance to do this. So we gotta make it happen" It's also bitter to know how much we take for granted. The simple act of just going outside.

It's just funny. Life. I was ready to totally give up because it all seemed too hard, that things weren't going my way. But here are these kids who have obvious disabilities and yet, weren't afraid. Embraced the challenge and had fun with it.

I don't think I can begin to put into words what it was like standing there watching them.