August 14

We went for a hike today. After Adam picked out a trail, we drove to Lake Alpine and parked near a campground. The first few moments of the walk were idyllic: beautiful, lush, green grass on the ground complete with flowers and butterflies that brought back sudden and sweet memories of romping through like-fields when I was a kid. Above, a canopy of tall, tall trees that kept the air light and breezy.

As the trail turned uphill, I asked Adam if he was sure that it was an "easy" trail. He said he thought so. And he was, as it turned out, very wrong. It was rocky and craggy and steep. More than once, I found myself, near tears, begging God to guide my feet. For someone like me who doesn't like heights, it was a scary experience. But we made it. And the view at the top was spectacular.

(That's me, in the lower left corner, climbing up what was essentially a row of boulders to get to the top.)

There were plenty of tears (mine), complaints (mine and the kids), and falls (mine) along the way, but the important thing is that we made it. It was a much harder trail that we ever imagined, but we made it to the top and got to see 360 degrees of incredible views. If we'd settled for a vista point earlier on along the trail or gotten discouraged and quit, we would've missed the best part of the journey.

The analogy to our family's life isn't lost on me. Things started off beautifully. Then we had to persevere through a nightmare --not sure we'd ever be able to make it-- and came out on the other side. I won't say we came out on top because we didn't; there was no way for us to truly come out on top. So in that particular way, the analogy falls short. But we made it --we survived after Logan flew away Home-- nonetheless. And sometimes, it's important to remember that accomplishment and to take some time to enjoy the view.