It Goes On

Three weeks ago today I hiked down into the Grand Canyon.  While the fact that I am writing this blog takes away a little of the suspense about whether I made it out or not,  my intention was to write a blog about my hike.  I wrote a blog about my preparation and excitement and was ready to write a blog about the actual hike the phone call came with the news that my mom had passed away.    Writing a hiking blog suddenly tumbled way down my list of priorities, superseded by driving 1400 miles, making funeral arrangements, and the myriad tasks necessary when a life ends.  I think I delayed writing the blog even longer because of the guilt I felt about having such a good time while, known only to God,  the last few grains of sand were trickling through the hourglass of my mom's life.

When he was an old man, Robert Frost said he could sum up all he had learned about life in three words:  "It goes on."  The longer I live, the more I appreciate the wisdom in those three simple words.

And my mom would be the first to remind me of that.

So I'll move on too. 

Tomorrow.

But I'll close this blog with another astute observation by Robert Frost about a mother's love:  "You don’t have to deserve your mother’s love. You have to deserve your father’s.  He’s more particular…. The father is always a Republican towards his son, and his mother’s always a Democrat."

Right again, Mr. Frost.

Tomorrow:  What goes down must come up.