“The first tree-lined mile is easy and beautiful, however….”
So begins the description of the Lover’s Lane Loop, a 5.8 mile hike to Sol Doc Falls and back in the Olympic National Park.
And so begins married life as well. Easy. Beautiful. In love.
However.
“However, as you proceed upstream the trail gets steeper and continues to climb steeply….” So, watch your step.
That too is married life. Busy. Arguments are sometimes awful. So, watch your words.
If the path is wide enough to walk hand-in-hand, grasp her hand in yours and watch for the secret treasure on the forest floor, the trillium flower, their stems intertwined, the petals bestowed with exceptional grace, the blossom adorned with delicate beauty, as if dressed to attend a gala, flowing silk, intricately designed.
Like the one whose hand you hold.
And when the two of you approach the summit atop the ridge on one of the many other trails you’ll take through life, notice the two – and only two – beargrass blossoms nestled one against the other.
Where these slightly fragrant white flowers normally bloom in bunches, here there are only two.
And these two? When fire uglifies the landscape – like the fires you may well have experienced that destroyed so much in your life you held dear – these subalpine meadow flowers are the first – the first – to sprout, returning beauty for what all around is ashes.
They are the first to return.
And here in such a beautiful, beautiful place, there are only two, side by side.
Only two.
Thank you for this beautiful piece of writing. An elegant metaphor and reminder in nature that the climb is fraught with difficulty but the pinnacle can be worth it. To be able to gaze into someone’s eyes and see yourself in the many memories that you have made…both good and bad. At the end of the trail, all we have is our memories of a life lived.
Thank you Diane! Yours is a poignant response!