Our hike started in a field of snow with the foot prints of
past hikers making a clear path to follow. The sky was almost perfectly clear
except for a few soft clouds pasted to the morning atmosphere. The sun’s
intense warmth was rare for the great northern part of the White Mountains this
time of year, but this rarity was deeply welcomed.
(it's a long way up)
As we continued our trek, I was endlessly getting lost in my
own thoughts, while at the same time, Cullen was getting lost in all the moose
scat and animal markings. Throughout my life I was always distant with my
family. Being the youngest raised by a single mom working third shift I never
spent much time with them. However, as life progressed my mother was the glue
that held our family together. Trying her best to host family dinners and get
togethers, and she succeeded quite well at it. However, since her unforeseen
passing my connection with the family has diminished, and the need to connect
with them is hard to grasp.
I have been criticized by them continuously for my lack of
communication and appearances. Yet, the fact remains I was raised in a distant way
and the one person who connected me to the rest is now lost.
The elevation gain up Cabot was quite fair, and I didn’t
seem to struggle much with this climb. As we reached the summit the wind started
to act out, which made the cold slightly uncomfortable. The breeze blowing
against my moist clothes made it feel cooler than they truly were. We took refuge from the chilly air in the cabin
at the top. We soaked in the sun’s heat though the windows as we sat and shared
a snack. Sitting in the vacant cabin on top of Cabot’s lonesome summit, Cullen’s
body heat kept my hands warm enough to journal; I came to accept my place in
the family.
We took our time leaving Mt. Cabot. We played like mad on top
of that mountain. The joy I get from watching him benefit from the simplest
aspects in this life is inexpressible. His outlook on life is something we
should all adopt. There is truthfully nothing more beautiful than to live a
life where something as simple as spending a day on a
mountain’s top fills you with tremendous amounts of joy. I believe if we
all took the time to slow down, and escape from this frantic civilization we
could learn to appreciate such simple characteristics of the world.
Just a few moments before ending our trip we rested by a few
small waterfalls. The company of Cullen and the alluring sounds of water crashing
sent me into a deep thought, a thought that only helped me with coming to peace
with everything. Family isn’t always the ones whose heart pumps the same blood.
What makes our lives full is not the heart within, but the love and loyalty of
our closest friends; for they are the ones who keep the heart beating. They are
family.
Out of nowhere my train of thought was broken by the full
attack of Cullen. His excitement got the best of him, and he attacked me at
full force with kisses. As I grabbed him and held him close I couldn’t help but
laugh uncontrollably. We made our mark on Cabot’s hillside that afternoon,
but not one that is visible to the naked eye, or even explainable; for as long
I live I will bear in mind that moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment