The searing pain inmy calves should disappear in a few more days, but my memories of hiking the Grand Canyon will last a lifetime. What an awesome, inspiring trip! The scenery was breathtaking, but I was just as inspired by the company of the three women who hiked with me ranging in age from 53-34. Three of us are moms and one of them, Jen, is pregnant with her fourth! (Yes, she had doctor approval.)
At times, I laughed so hard I peed my pants, which is not good when there's no bathrooms for the next five miles. We laughed at jokes that couldn't possibly translate to anyone but us as we found out when we tried to explain them to our significant others. Finally, we settled on, "You had to be there." This is how a deep sense of bonding is created. We physically and mentally conquered something together. That feeling comes anytime we can "get to the other side" of a challenge with someone, even when it's a rough patch in a relationship.
The trip meant something different to each of us. I've been in a playgroup with Kathy (far right) since our kids were two years old. When I asked her why she wanted to hike the Grand Canyon she told me she had nothing to prove. "I knew I could do it, that wasn't it. I just wanted to find out what would happen when I did." That's Kathy, ever curious! So, what happened? "It hurt!"
Jen (far left) is Kathy's cousin and I will be always be thankful for her for making us slow down, stop, and take pictures. She would stop and say, "Look! Are you appreciating this? We came down from there!" In addition to keeping us entertained with wacky family stories, she also put the trip in perspective: "On other vacations I get home and return to the grind immediately. This time, when I feel like complaining about holding everyone's coat, or when I'm tired from wiping noses, I'll always know that I made it down to the canyon and back, and nothing could ever be that challenging."Andrea and I have been friends ever since meeting at a writer's workshop seven years ago.
Just like a great writer, her answer about the trip's significance was succinct: "It reminds me how capable I am." 
We all felt that way after making it across the suspension bridge, crossing the Colorado river, one mile to go before reaching Phantom Ranch.
I lost my mother to a debilitating stroke when I was 12-years-old. I learned the hard way that time stands still for no one. For me, this trip reminds me simply that I am alive.
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