As is customary most every summer, the wife, dog and I hop in the car and head west to Colorado to visit the son and his wife.
We prefer to go in the summer because we are hikers not skiers. The thought of swooshing down a mountain and being abruptly stopped by a rogue aspen is not appealing to us.
“Honey,” I said to the wife as we headed to our cabin in Colorado, “do you know what the son has planned for our visit?”
“Allow me to read his text,” she said and continued, “Hey parentals! I hope your knees and hips, livers and bladders are up for some serious fun this week! Here’s what I have planned: dog playtime at Boulder Reservoir, a hike to my favorite brewery for some brews and board games, outdoor theatre production of King Lear, a visit to the Gold Dirt Distillery, hiking Magnolia Trail at 8,700 feet above sea level, lunch and drinks at “Last Shot” biker bar, and then we’ll wrap it all up with a drive up Mt. Evans and hike to the summit at 14,258 feet. How does that sound?”
“It sounds like he’s trying to kill us,” I said to the wife. “It sounds like he is unwilling to wait for us to expire naturally so he can collect his inheritance. I just know he’s going to ply us with liquor and push us off a 14,000 foot mountain!”
“You are being perfectly ridiculous. There isn’t a malicious bone in our son’s body. He has planned a beautiful itinerary for us and we should be grateful and flattered that he and our wonderful daughter-in-law are taking time off from their careers to be with us.”
“That is pretty nice. A lot of parents don’t have the luxury of spending time with their adult children.”
Our week together went as planned, albeit slowly at first, as I was adjusting to the altitude. And by adjusting, I mean trying to keep my lungs from collapsing by sucking on a can of oxygen.
On our last day together the son announced, “Today is the big challenge, Mom and Dad. Today we conquer Mt. Evans! We’ll drive most of the way up on the highest paved road in Colorado, but for the final ascent we will have to hike to reach the peak at 14,258 feet above sea level.”
“Excuse me,” I said to the son, “have you seen me climb the stairs in the cabin? I am constantly tucking my lungs back into my chest. How do you expect me to climb to 14,000 plus feet? Without a handrail?”
“Dad, you’ll be fine…I think. As long as you stay hydrated and have your can of oxygen, chances are you’ll make it.”
There are mountaintop experiences in life, and there are actual mountaintop experiences. We made the climb to the peak and we were able to see forever from the top of Mt. Evans, far above the birds, the trees, small aircraft, and the hectic pace of life. It was beyond imagination to see the world from this vantage point. It was sublime.
“Dad, Mom, you made it!” the son said. “Turn around, I want to take your picture at the top of the world!”
“Honey,” I whispered to the wife, “if he asks us to take a step back, don’t do it!”
