One of My Proudest Moments as a Father

A number of years ago, when my kids were 8 and 10, I took them on a 5-day backpacking trip in the Gore Range, near Breckenridge, CO. We hiked and camped along the crest of the mountains, generally between 10,000 and 11,000ft in elevation. It was a fantastic trip. Later that summer, my 10-year old, Sam, complained that he felt like his heart was racing, and my wife (a nurse) heard an arrhythmia in his heart beat. We were off to the Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital. After a good deal of testing, we met with a cardiologist, who put Sam at ease immediately.

“Did you have any adventures this summer?” the doctor asked.

“Oh, yes,” Sam replied, “we went backpacking in Colorado, high up in the mountains.”

The doctor took notice. “When you were hiking that high, how did you feel?”

Sam thought for a full 30 seconds, looking for the right words. “You know,” he said, “I felt sort of . . . lonely . . . but in a good way.”

The doctor paused politely. “Interesting, but did you ever feel dizzy or light-headed?”

“No,” Sam explained patiently, “just lonely in a good way.”

At 10, Sam seemed to be able to explain what draws me to the mountains.