I am a planner. I can tell you that Christmas Eve this year will be on a Sunday without looking at a calendar. I am already thinking about next summer when this one is just getting started. This can be a great gift, an irritation to those I share life with, or a setup for getting way out over my skis. In ‘Retirement # Two’ I am trying to wake up each day and see what happens. This does not preclude more long range possibilities.
Yesterday was a moment where the day came to me. Grandson Mattias has a friend from Texas in town. Aidan flew up to spend a few days with “T” and then drive back to for year two of college. I called yesterday and asked “T” if they had any plans. They were out on the disk golf course that “T” has fallen in love with. “Not really, this is Aidan’s first time ever in Colorado”. “Are you going to the mountains”? “I don’t know, we haven’t really thought about it”. Mark the Planner kicked in. “How about if I pick you up at 3:30 and we go up to Nederland to check out the carousel”? “Sure”. I was thrilled—I had a plan.
I showed up get them up and found that 14 year old granddaughter Zoe, wanted to go. The more the merrier. We filled the car when we picked up MK, and we headed for the seven minute ride from our house to the beginning of the Rocky Mountains. The conversations began. I was grateful there was no cell service, which allowed for all of us to experience what we were seeing in real life.
We got to Nederland only to find out that the “Carousel of Happiness” was closing for the day—so much for happiness. They let the kids come in to see the amazing hand carved figures done by a Viet Nam vet, as a way to heal. I will save the story of the carousel for another day. I said, “Well team, we have time to head up to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park”. “How long will that take”? “Oh, we should be home by tomorrow”. “WHATTTTT”. “Just sit back and enjoy”. Amazingly, they did.
We sailed right in the park without even having to use my lifetime pass. For any of you that have been there, you know you start in a mountain river valley and work your way slowly up Trail-Ridge road. The wild flowers were spectacular and then the first audible gasp from the back seat. “Snow”. The road takes you up slowly to the various levels of alpine life, each with its own character. “Soon we will be at timberline”. “What’s timberline”? It then dawned on me that not only was Aidan seeing this for the first time, but so were my grandkids. “Timberline is where trees can no longer grow because of the altitude”. “Oh yea, like when we were skiing at Wolf Creek last January”. “Yep”.
When you come out above the tree line, there is a turn where the whole vista blows wide open. Anyone who has been there knows exactly where it is. Suddenly you find yourself feeling very small as you are almost instantly given a picture of “The Rockies”. From the backseat— “Oh my God”—it was Zoe sharing her disbelief at the sheer majesty that confronted us.
Then she said these words that warmed this grandpa’s soul. “I am HOME”.
And I didn’t even plan this…
Onward and Upward,
Mark
Lyfting Me Up 