Family and Traditions

On this July 4th, I find myself reflecting on my freedom, that of my kids, and how far we’ve all come since last summer.

This year has been a big year of extremes for me. Extreme pushes on the mountains to extreme amounts of quiet time waiting for the opportunity to push forward in the mountains. My quiet time is usually consumed with thinking about my family and friends. It’s been a unique 12 months as I reflect back on the isolation Covid created. We all had to learn new ways to connect with loved ones from a distance and stay connected to what matters. In some ways, the time-out was a blessing and in other ways it was really frustrating. I am so grateful for the huge support team that I have to make all my goals possible!

On this 4th of July, I’m reminded of the importance of family traditions. We have a fishing tournament every year for my kids and their cousins. A trophy is involved for the winner and it is something they look forward to every year. This year, I flew to Michigan with them all and, within an hour of arrival at my parents’ house, all kids were selecting poles and practicing! Finding worms, testing the length of the line as the water levels change yearly, deciding what place on the docks they want to claim as their spot…all the things.

With K2 being a summer climb, I am missing the tournament this year. I’m sad to miss it, but the fishing tournament goes on and I’m so excited for the kids and cousins! When they are doing these fun things, even with me gone, they get lost in the moments of them and forget I am away. I will get a photo and video of what is happening, and I am sure we will FaceTime during it all. The tournament is only an hour, but it seems to provide days of strategy and stories ahead of it…and days of retrospective stories afterward. 

Our family traditions connect us, as I’m sure your family traditions do for you and your family. They are something fun to look forward to, and they help keep everything happy even when everyone cannot be present. When I leave, I have the tradition of leaving a candle for them to light and send wishes to me. On this 4th of July, my kids are going to use sparklers instead! I also left Hershey kisses and hugs so they can eat one and know that is what I am sending them. 

Family is a priority for me. Doing these big adventures has helped me connect into what it really means to be a family. It isn’t just the presence of every day. It is the support of the dream, the environment to explore, the unification of the idea that we are all in this together and stepping in and up for one another so we can chase our goals. I am so blessed with a super supportive family. My kids are seeing what it is like to take turns chasing goals, what support really is, and how we can love one another when not physically nearby! Love always transcends!