Blakely & Me

For months I have watched as Blake tip-toed around her Little Tikes slide.  She would go up to it, touch it, look at it, but no way would she attempt to slide down it.  She was scared!  Controlled by fear.  As an observer, having experienced this same slide myself decades ago, I knew it wasn’t going to hurt her.  I knew if she would just go for it and slide down she would have the time of her life.  But to her, it was frightening.  The possibility of injury and pain too great.

Today as she finally mustard up the courage to climb to the top, I thought to myself, “Is she really going to do it?”.  I’ve watched her ponder the possibility countless times, always frozen with doubt.  Today though, something was different.  Today Blake overcame her fear.  Today Blake overcame self-doubt.  As she slid down, her face lit up, followed by endless giggles.  She conquered her fear!  And it was a rush.  It was exciting.  Blake transcended an insecurity that had been preventing her from experiencing joy.  I watched as she climbed up and slid down another 200 times at least, laughing with as much enthusiasm on the last as she did on the first.

What a beautiful example of how fear in our own lives controls us and dictates what we will and won’t do.  It’s so easy on the other side to see how our fears are without merit; that our fears are nothing more than roadblocks preventing us from experiencing happiness.  As we grow older our fears tend to seem more intense, more real.  We look at obstacles in our life and believe they are insurmountable, when in reality they’re no bigger than a toddler too timid to go down a Little Tikes slide.  What fear is inhibiting you from experiencing life to the fullest?  What fear has you stuck, paralyzed, unable to move and take action?  Whatever it is, climb it, and slide down.  You’ll be in for one hell of a ride.

Today Blakely and I hiked Evergreen Mountain.  The day started off gorgeous with a light breeze and sunshine.  It must have been pretty relaxing between the shade of her canopy and the rocking motion from climbing up the trail, because Blake fell fast asleep.

Listening to the grasshoppers chirp, watching the chipmunks banter and play; I thought of how disconnected we are from whats real.  Constantly submersed in our phones, distracted by the TV; all while these simple, gem of moments pass us by.  About then I heard little baby snoring and my day was made.  🙂

 

 

At the summit you can see Mt. Evans and I could see a storm making its way toward us.  It’s a beautiful sight to see a storm moving from a mountain peak.  Like a wall of water in the sky, gradually inching its way toward you.  You’d think there’s some fairy-tale type magic waiting for you on the other side.

 

 

Blakely and I played for awhile, but shortly started the hike down hoping to beat the storm.  About halfway down, the sprinkles started and the rain came.  When the rain finally stopped, Blakely was dry underneath her waterproof canopy, but of course I wasn’t so lucky.  As we got to the car I couldn’t help but laugh at what a perfect metaphor I had just experienced.

 

 

Sometimes in life it rains.  We see the storm coming, but instead of sitting back and taking it in we get consumed with how to avoid it.  Storms come into our lives, but they always pass.  Never permanent, always temporary.  When you feel as if you’re caught in a storm and your life is spiraling like a hurricane out of control; remember that you will land safely.  The storm will pass and there is sunshine waiting for you on the other side.  So keep your head up and play in the rain.  Rainbows and sunshine are just around the bend.

 

 

Evergreen Mountain Trail is about 4.5 miles with just over 800 feet in elevation gain.  The trail is well maintained, but pretty rocky in areas.  It seemed like a challenge for me today, but overall I would say its moderate difficulty.  There’s plenty of room for dogs to run if you have pets.  For more information on the hike, click the link below.

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/colorado/evergreen-mountain-trail

 

 

 

Remember what it was like to be a child?  To play just because?  To laugh, be inspired, and be curious about the world around us?  We don’t need much to be entertained.  All we really need is the acceptance of ourselves and the relationships with those we love.

Today on this hike, breathing in the fresh mountain air, listening to the rustle of the leaves, I felt so fortunate to be in nature with my daughter Blakely.  Today we laughed and lived life care free.  No drama, no worries.  Just love!

It gets heavy carrying Blakely up the mountain, and like any toddler, she gets antsy and wants to move around and play.  It’s very difficult being carried in the hiking backpack under a shade canopy apparently.  😉

So when we finally got to the lookout point for the Continental Divide, we did just that.  The view of the Continental Divide is gorgeous, but that’s not what kept my attention.  Children are so easily entertained.  As I watched Blakely playing in the dirt, banging sticks together, giggling and smiling; it was obvious to me that this is how life is meant to be lived.  To live in the moment, grateful for whatever we have.  If you have nothing to your name besides 2 sticks, bang those sticks together with as much enthusiasm as a kiddo in a candy shop.  Be grateful for what you have, no matter how much or little it may seem to be.  It’s what you have and it’s all you need.  Today is the perfect day to use your imagination and let your inner child come out to play.

For more information on the hike, visit

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/rattlesnake-gulch-trail

                    

If you’re seeking a little extra adventure, go off trail about 30 yards to where the train tracks and tunnel are.  Be very careful around the tracks though, the tunnel and railroad are still active.