Matthew David O'Grady

I go to Colorado every year to ski with my brother, my Dad, my cousins (who were sorely missed this year) and some of our closest friends. It’s a wonderful experience to have an annual trip, and a sure-fire way to avoid letting the years go by without spending some time together. Doing the annual trip, guarantees we have spent some real quality time together to consciously build memories with one another, and we are always grateful that we did!

This year my brother chose Telluride – what a magnificent place! We rent a beautiful house, which my little brother expertly manages and organizes for people like me who could never do such a thing, on or near the mountain with beautiful views, hot tub, steam room, great kitchen, etc. We ski, we laugh, we cook, we play cards and drink some beers. It’s always fun and always helpful to step away from regular life a bit and experience something different, something ‘higher,’ and more unique than what my daily and weekly routine is like. The ‘higher’ part of this very apropos being amongst many mountains 13,000 feet or higher. The altitude is pretty serious, one has to keep hydrating (and drink less beer!) and be sure to get enough sleep.

I love getting away from New York for a time to unwind, relax into nature, and see different sights. This year was no different and it even had something special in the air for me. It hit me the most profoundly when I was skiing with my brother on a trail called ‘See Forever’ on Telluride’s ample slopes. The name itself gives you an idea of what you can see once you are at the very top of the mountain. There must be 7 or 8 different mountain ranges in view, some super close, criss-crossing right before your eyes with jagged and unforgiving edges. Majestic is the only word that comes to mind in describing how beautiful the view was at the top of this slope. In that moment I was somewhat speechless, I was with my only brother, my best friend, looking at the most startling beautiful winter scene my eyes have ever seen. Cliffs to my right, double diamonds to my left and on a somewhat thin pathway riding along the top of the mountain ridge. Gratitude overwhelmed me and I felt as if I had died for a moment and I must be in Heaven. The freshness of the air, the emotional connection with and love for my brother, channeled into a love for my life and all those in it, all that I have learned, all that I have experienced and all that I am grateful for in my life.

In those few minutes I was able to connect with something ‘higher’ inside myself, I could feel my adrenaline pumping from the beauty, the emotion, not to mention I had to eventually ski down this mountain! It reminded my of my potential, what I can really do in this life, and how every moment counts. Every choice I make, every word I say, every action I take matters. This life will not always be there for me, at least in this body, at this age, etc. It’s precious this life, truly and absolutely precious and unless I treat it that way I will never reach the the targets I am aiming at, or the pinnacles I am reaching for. I realized deeply, once again, how important it is to go for my dreams, and goals, and really dedicate myself to what is possible for me in this life. My brother said: “It makes you feel small, doesn’t it?” I replied, “Yeah it does, but I also feel so connected, as much as I ever have.”

This entry was posted on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 9:09 am and is filed under Awareness, Gratitude and Appreciation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.