Mountains to climb December 4 2008

December 4 2008

 

Here is a follow up. This was from about the Ides of October.

 

Remember the day I wrote about regarding fear? When I got the confirmation from Compassion International about our visit with Tine? I wanted to be in a dark corner. And don't find me. That was a bad day.

 

There have been better days since then...

 

I knew before it happened that the summit of Guadalupe Peak would do something to us. I was hoping it would be a changing event for Wesley. I think it will be a milestone for him. When he thinks he can't do something I will remind him that he summited the highest point in Texas. There are only 13 states with higher peaks. And there are not that many 11 year olds who can make that claim.

 

Guadalupe Peak is located in far west Texas, about 150 miles from El Paso. It is so remote that we actually stayed in Carlsbad New Mexico the night before we climbed it. The summit is 8749 ft. Now, I have slept and skied at higher elevations, but for Texas, that’s still a pretty good ascent.

 

We hiked up 3000 vertical feet in about 4 miles. We left at noon, and returned at around 6:30.

 

This was part of an extended weekend trek for the 7 of us. And, it was a trip none of the kids nor Ruth had ever been on. In 5 days we hiked in the Davis Mountains, attended a Star Party at McDonald Observatory, rafted the Santa Elena Canyon on the Rio Grande, ate lunch in Mexico, swam in a natural spring pool in Balmhorea, surfed down sand dunes in Monahans, and climbed Guadalupe Peak. Whew.

 

No cell phones. No email. No electronics. Just us.

 

The purpose was to discover what 7 Shoreys looked like. It's different. And it's good.

 

K'Leigh and Jonathan had to go back to college before the Guadalupe Peak day, but the other boys and Bethany and I made the trek.

 

It was a great day in many ways. It was tougher than I thought it would be, but we were prepared. And Wesley was the tallest person in Texas. (I made the other brothers squat down for a second.) And he did accomplish something that later he said gave him more confidence. Not so many things seem insurmountable to him now.

 

But another byproduct from that day is that I too am ready to tackle tasks that seemed daunting those first weeks in October. It was drudgery to me to have to get ready all over again to go overseas. I felt like I had just done that 3 months ago. Packing, luggage, last minute details. Just that the second time, the details were related to producing more death certificates to more people.

 

Here is a snippet from a conversation around that time.

 

"There is not enough time, nor is there enough of me. But there has to be. It will get done.

Not sure how I will be when it is done, but it will get done.

I am weary and there are so many people who want a part of me. I just hope there is some left when I get back."

 

Back to the mountain. It is part accomplishment, part perspective, part pride (I love Texas in case you didn't know), part settledness.

 

I am different after that trek. I am still figuring out how I am changed.

I will let you know as more of that is revealed. But I know I can't be the same after looking Down on other mountain peaks, realizing I was, for a moment, the tallest person in Texas.

And then, I realize am so small. I am an ant, and yet someone died for an ant.

Totally weird to me.

 

In size insignificant, in relationship immensely significant.

 

I can't quite wrap my mind around what happened, but it will be fun to find out.