A Time to Slow Down

We just returned from an enjoyable couple days with friends in Sun Valley. I was struck how our time there has changed over the years. Our friends bought their condo 25 years ago and have invited us to join them there since the beginning. In those early days they had a baby and we had a toddler, so we took turns going out to cross country ski or shop, etc. Soon the second children came along and as soon as they were able, we strapped children’s cross country skis onto their snow boots and encouraged them to move. Needless to say, we didn’t go far and the adults didn’t get much skiing in. Before long the children were all using actual cross country skis and they were able to go farther. Our days would also include ice skating at the Sun Valley rink, sledding behind the condo, shopping or visiting galleries in Ketchum, and dinner in town. Their kids learned to downhill ski so sometimes we would go our separate ways, and then meet for lunch. Sometimes lunch would be at the Galena Lodge at Galena Summit, after which we would all go cross country skiing together. We did eat and rest at the condo a bit, but it seems like we were always on the go.

Gradually, the kids got older and their activities prevented us from meeting in Sun Valley every year. In the past we had discussed how there would be a time when we would be together there without the kids. That time has come; all four of our children have graduated from college. One is married and another is engaged. We see our friends sporadically, not nearly often enough. I think we especially noticed a distinct change this time. When we arrived late Saturday afternoon, we were content to sit and catch up with each other. We headed out early the next morning to go snowshoeing with a bird group at a nature preserve. We didn’t find the bird group, but enjoyed following the trail on our own, losing the trail, crawling through brush, laughing, taking photos, and looking for birds. By the time we were back to the condo for a late lunch, we realized that we had all had enough for the day and cancelled our plans to go out cross country skiing. Instead we sat and talked-- for hours, later heading to a local Italian restaurant where the conversation continued. We’re all getting older and our bodies are slowing us down. We can’t go out and do everything we used to do. However, in the process, we have found something else, something more precious. We did get our cross country skiing in; we simply went the next morning, took our time on the trail, and by the time we needed to quit, my aging body was ready. I will be looking at my trips to Sun Valley from a different perspective from now on.