Great Lessons from 2012

The past year was a great learning experience for me. I'm glad that I'm still able and willing to learn. I think the most important thing I learned is this: our journey on this planet doesn't always turn out the way we plan or want it to. This one important lesson was driven home when my wife and I tried to hike to the top of Timpanogos Peak.

We thought about the hike, dreamed about the hike, and planned for the hike. It was a tall  (no pun intended) task for us. Physically, we were prepared, yet we found ourselves challenged in some sections of the trail. I will admit my wife is a slow hiker, and I've had to learn a measure of patience when hiking with her. This patience has allowed me to realize that there is more to hiking than getting to the end of the trail and back. There are beauties to behold and transcendental thoughts to be entertained.

We hiked with another couple and I became aware of their needs. We slowed them down. They were in the mode of an endurance athlete in a marathon. Time was important to them. Had we not been so slow, the decision to go all the way to the summit would have been easier, but to push the last mile to the summit would have taken close to another hour at the pace we were hiking. We discussed several scenarios that would allow my wife her goal of making it to the top, but we eventually talked her out of it.

My hang-up was fear of the last mile of trail. I have always been afraid of heights and in my "older" years I find it is more prominent. About 28 years ago I was diagnosed with Menieries disease. I have had vertigo issues, and hearing loss. When we made it to the saddle and I took the final steps over a narrow angled trail and viewed the valley below, I became afraid. The remainder of the trail looked to be on a steep angle. I convinced my mind that I could go no farther. Taking into consideration the time restraint and my own fear, we decided that we had made a good enough effort and we needed to get back down off the mountain. My wife was saddened. As I think back, I feel sorry that she was not able to reach the summit. I have no doubt that she would have had we been hiking alone.

I don't think we will ever go back and attempt to make the summit. We have to be satisfied with what we did accomplish on that hike. We made it to the saddle which is a worthy goal and the actual destination of many hikers. We saw terrain, wildlife, and sights and sounds that we would have never seen if we had not attempted to summit. We learned some valuable lessons about ourselves and about our interactions as a wife and husband. I've come to realize that we didn't settle for anything less, by not reaching the top. I'm sure their are others who would consider us failures for not making that final push, but satisfaction is a matter of perception.

This past year, I was able to get out and do some exploring with my fly fishing. I fished two small creeks that I knew about for several years but never made the effort to get to them. They were brushy, small, and held small colorful trout. For me, this type of fishing is what I enjoy. I find much satisfaction in the solitude and beauty of these small waters. While others are concerned with the size of trout they catch and the social aspects of angling with others, I've realized, after trying to reach the "summit" of the fly fishing and tying arena, that I don't need it. My wife has accompanied me on most of these little adventures and her companionship to, from, and on the water, have been a great blessing to me and I believe to her too. I look forward to many more adventures in 2013.

This past year has also taught me that the most important blessing I have in my life is family. I have come to realize that the greatest love is unconditional. While each of my children are different, I get to love them all unconditionally. It's still a learning process, as I sometimes feel disappointment when I feel that my children are not making it to the "summit" that I have in my view for them. The journey with them, however, is so enjoyable and brings joy into my life.

As a member of the LDS Church, our family has had the opportunity to send my two sons on missions for the Church in the past few years. Their missions were different and learning experiences for all of us. I love the fact that they made offerings to the Lord even though the experiences ended up being different than what we thought they might be. I can say that I have never had more emotional and spiritual feelings than I did with the return of my sons from their missions. Each of them had reached a "summit" in their lives and in so doing brought to our view as a family, the beauties of God.

I look forward to the lessons of 2013. Hopefully, I'll be able to get "out there" as much or more than I did this past year.

Thanks for following along with this blog. I hope you find some value in it. I might not be able to take you to every "summit", but I hope as I have learned, the journey always has value.