I once read an article with advice on how to relieve stress. The author suggested that everyone should carry an image of a happy place in his/her mind. Whenever life threatens to become overwhelming the person should mentally go there. I have used this little trick over and over again and I must say that it works very well. I have a number of happy places and not surprisingly most of them are in Rocky Mountain National Park. For whatever reason I prefer the mountains over all of the splendors of nature and over the years I have experienced remarkable inner peace and calm along the roads and trails of Colorado.  

My most frequent go to image is of arriving at the Boulder Field along the trail to the summit of Long’s Peak just as the sun began to rise. Mike and I and our two girls gazed down at the town of Estes Park which appeared to be a fairyland with the twinkling lights of the homes and businesses. Next to us was a massive wall of rocks that seemed to have been placed in our way by giants. They blocked our route to the top of the mountain but were glorious in their own right. We were unable to climb over them because our children were too small but we had already achieved a lofty goal in reaching that point. As the wind burned our faces and our lungs struggled to find oxygen I felt a rush of serenity in that place unlike anything that I have ever felt before or since. I felt as though I was at the top of the world and somehow problems seemed as insignificant and small as the tiny town that I saw below us.  

I return to Rocky Mountain National Park again and again both in person and in my imagination. I never grow weary of the place and to my delight it never disappoints me. Mike and I chose that destination to celebrate our fortieth wedding anniversary for it was there that we built cherished memories with our family. There seemed no more suitable place to remember all of the moments that we have shared. 

This has been a long and difficult summer for me. It has felt as though my usual Midas touch is gone and everything that I do or plan is somehow set askew. I’ve been barely able to walk and keeping my teeth healthy has become a major investment. Even a planned Fourth of July party went awry when my grandson suffered a horrible break in his leg that has sidelined him for weeks. Just when I thought that things couldn’t possibly get any worse I received the devastating news that my daughter may possibly have a rare liver disease for which there is no cure.

I have been nursing my wounds, including those caused by my recent knee surgery,  and admittedly feeling sorry for myself. I’ve had to curb my impatience and my need for instant answers about my daughter’s condition. It seems that a final diagnosis will not be possible for at least another month. So I wait while my imagination travels from happy miracles to worst case scenarios, none of which is particularly productive. I have had to retreat to my happy place over and over again. Luckily it still has the magic that it always has.

I have a t-shirt that I purchased in Estes Park that bears a photograph of one of the nearby mountain peaks. It bears the words, “The mountains are calling and I must go.” I have been hearing the whispering winds, the cries of the eagles and hawks, the scent of the pines, and the babbling of brooks and rivers. They have told me that they will comfort me if only I will come. Thus I have planned a trip for me and Mike and my daughter, Catherine, my son-in-law, Jeremy, and five of my grandchildren. I have rented my brothers’ cabin that sits near the Big Thompson Canyon and a stones throw from Rocky Mountain National Park. By the end of this week I will be back in the place that never fails to heal my heart and bring me the strength that I need. 

My knee is not yet ready to travel along the rugged trails but neither is my grandson’s leg. He and I will have to be content with seeing the wonders from inside our car. We will ride along Trail Ridge Road and look out into what seems to be infinity. We will encounter Big Horn Sheep and maybe spot the bear that is roaming through the neighborhood where our cabin is located. Mother Nature will be all around us enfolding us in her loving and protective arms and all will be well. Mostly it will be the sharing of fun times and indelible memories that will sustain us all and fill the hours that we must wait until we find out more about Catherine’s fate. 

I know that many of you have been praying for the best and we can only hope that it is in God’s plan to lift this cup from our family. If Catherine is indeed diagnosed with this disorder we will need our strength and our patience more than ever. We will have to learn how to cope with looming uncertainty. We will have to continue to pray that we will be able to accept God’s will with grace.

None of us ever really know when we will be called to return to our heavenly home. Our fates are much more fragile than we generally think. A thirty three year old father might go out for a drive on a summer evening and never return. A beautiful young woman about to begin married life may encounter a drunken driver and leave this earth forever. A tiny baby my only make it for a few weeks. A young man on vacation my be killed in a freak accident. A friend may be diagnosed with a deadly cancer. An innocent bystander at a movie may be shot by a madman. From moment to moment, day to day, month to month, year to year we never truly know what will happen next. That’s why it is so important to seize the day. 

I have lived a wonderful life. I have few regrets. Most of the ones that I do have revolve around missed opportunities. There were times when I should have had the courage of my convictions. There were moments when I might have told the people that I loved just how truly important they were to me. There were situations tainted with anger that should have been resolved and never were. All too often I worked myself into a frenzy over things that really didn’t matter and didn’t stop long enough to take care of the things that did. I wonder why I never really thanked my mother fro being my guardian angel. I stew over the fact that I didn’t really sufficiently appreciate the wisdom and wonder of my mother-in-law. I cry that I didn’t spend more time with my dying friend and worry less about demands from my job. 

The mountains soothe my soul but they also tell me the secrets to a life well lived. We only go around this world once. All of us are slowly moving toward our end. Our time is limited and we are free to use it as we will. It is so important that we find ways to make the most of every minute. In the end it will be in those happy places that we find the truth. Hopefully we will listen.