Wendy

The soul of the mountains is carried within these two friends of mine. They have shared with me years of hiking the trails, swimming in the lower lake, sharing our personal lives with each other on top of ledges and mountains. They are as much a part of me as the mountains are a part of me. And now they are both gone. My heart is so heavy with the loss. They both had an inner spirit that pulled them through the worst of times, they knew how to fight and keep going, they knew how to love and be loved. I wonder if that is a gift from the mountains, to teach us how to slow down and be with each other. To keep climbing when your legs are giving out, to dive into the freezing cold water and scream with the shock of it, to stay quiet in the thickness of the woods, to feel the weight of the backpack along the lake road.

My memories will have to sustain me, and their strength will be my guide. But the woods will never be the same without them.