Dad
Buddha said, “Let death be your greatest teacher.” These past few years have been hard ones in my family of origin. My parents divorced after more than 40 years of marriage and contention, drama, and misunderstanding ensued. My own connection to my dad during these years has been tenuous. With his passing, I have felt the full range of intense grief that comes when someone you love moves beyond this life. In general, I am not one to cry much or often, but I've shed more tears over my dad's passing then during my entire adult life combined. I'm pretty sure of that. One sweet blessing though, is that without the present drama, I have a huge open space to hold all of the good that is my dad. I have so many happy memories of him and I have come to realize, more than ever, how much he shaped me. I will miss him. My dad loved to hike in the Wasatch and one of his favorite hikes was the Grandeur Peak Trail. It only seemed natural to walk this trail when I learned of ...