Hope

As we travel West from the barren, frigid Prairie roads we find a sky drowned by the sun and surrounded by majestic mountains. I am suddenly lifted by the beauty before me. It reminds me that despite sorrow and loss, there is a world full of opportunities and promise. I remember resisting against my Dad's offers to go for walks as a teenager. I get that now, the purity and simplicity one can only experience in nature is something not to be taken for granted. The best part of my trip home was the moment when I stood on the lake Dad made in front of our childhood home. My brother was on the lake with my husband and our kids preparing the ice for skating. I stood there with a heavy heart, knowing this was the vision Dad had for his property. A place where everyone could enjoy this pure, beautiful nature. As I watch the new year begin, I know it will bring its' share of sadness but there is still a life worth loving and living.