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There was an extra bad year in my life when I lost my mother, my brother Keith, and Ted. Yes, it was a very tough year..

Since these deaths were all related to smoking, I decided to quit my own heavy smoking habit and, believe me, life got tougher. Quitting was hard and I did it cold turkey. Against popular wisdom, I kept a half empty box in my purse, for any irresistable need, and have not smoked another cigarette.. such a mercy to be given.

I've regarded it as a great blessing that I was granted the ability to stop smoking. For years, the certainty that I could not had kept me from even trying. Why did I ever start? Who knows? After all, as children, we called them cancer sticks, or gaspers!

I have even dreamt that I broke the resolution and, waking, was filled with self disgust. It was wonderful to waken, when full consciousness told me that my despair was brought by a bad dream.

One morning, I arose with a really strange conviction; one that my mind had never before encompassed. I was going to learn to dive; not only that, but, I was going to dive Australia's Great Barrier Reef. That day I went down to WW Dive shop, in Humble, met Rebecca, and asked if I could be taught, since I was no spring chicken. She said that I could be taught and we began lessons. She taught me at the WW Dive Shop at WW Diving Company .

My first trip was to Grand Cayman with a bunch of gorilla- type, super experienced divers! There were some hairy old times, and I washed up on the iron shore, getting some rather impressive bruises and abrasions, whilst there!

Oh, yes, I got better. About nine months later I dove the reef from a live aboard craft - it was a lifetime peak. I even saw a shark egg with its periscope scoping us out as it drifted by.

Diving has been one of my greatest joys. I've logged over two hundred and been to dive sites of fable, including Palau, Fiji, Ponapei, Cozumel, Guanaya and Belize.

I'm everlastingly grateful for taking the plunge. I'd love to find out what planted the vision in my mind; but I guess that I never will.

Audrey at depth