Contributed by Debra McGhan
November, the month we all hear so much and talk so much about being thankful. But 33 years ago, I felt anything but thankful. A lot has changed in my life since then and today, I have so much for which to feel glad-i-tude.
It is true that we do not get stronger when things are easy. We only grow and gain strength when things are hard. I learned that lesson when my husband was killed in an avalanche of snow and dirt the night before Thanksgiving in 1986. He was 33 years old.
It wasn’t a big mountain, Just a small hill. Enough to kill him.
I learned that day, you should never underestimate the power of nature on any scale.
My daughter likes to remind me that every challenge is good news. It brings the opportunity to gain strength, exert greatness and be so much more than we were before.
Losing someone you love in a sudden tragedy at the peak of their life is one of the greatest challenges.
For everyone who has faced disaster, or knows a friend or family member who’s been impacted, it’s important to know and believe that this too shall pass. What matters is how we respond to the challenges.
There are those who believe they have no power to overcome what’s happened. And there are others who take the kick to the gut, pick themselves up and push forward. They fight back. They rise above and refuse to let something they do not have control over shape their life into misery and failure.
As I’ve heard it said so often, “We are free to make choices. We are not free from the consequences of those choices.”
After my husband was killed, I chose to get up and fight. I could not change what had happened. I could not bring him back. But I could be a good role model for my children and my community by using my experiences and lessons to help shape a safer future.
For 15 years, I dedicated my life to sharing the lessons of avalanche and mountain safety in Alaska. I spent hours late into the night struggling to figure out the pieces and parts needed to run a successful non-profit organization that could support outdoor safety, especially winter, cold weather and avalanche safety.
My front seat journey in the avalanche world ended in July when the board recognized they needed to slow down, reorganize and get back to a slower speed; a pace at which the teams of people who are dedicated and willing to donate the time needed, can find ways to sustain all that has been created.
While some have chosen to pull their specific location teams closer and drop all support for a statewide effort, others are growing stronger together and knuckling down to make sure no matter what the future brings, from weather to basic services, Alaska has avalanche information centers.
The Alaska Avalanche Information Center is run by dedicated, skilled mountain practitioners who are providing regular snow forecasting in Valdez and Haines, plus a host of educational opportunities all across Alaska from Fairbanks to Ketchikan. They have strong support from dozens of individuals and key sponsors including the Alaska Department of Public Safety, The City of Valdez, Alaska Community Foundation, Rasumuson Foundation, Kendall Toyota and AARP Alaska to mention a few.
You can find a host of information and links to other educational resources at www.AlaskaSnow.org.
All of this is possible thanks to a core of dedicated individuals who do this from the heart. They know that losing someone you love hurts. They also know getting outdoors to soak up life is critical for a happy, healthy planet.
There is nothing more amazing or energizing than standing on the top of a mountain and having the skill and knowledge to come back home and live to do it over and over. All the people behind this effort understand that.
I’ve learned to appreciate every day and every step forward that results in progress. I’m so proud to see this community of people continue forward while I have the opportunity to take a back seat and cheer everyone on.
This year on Thanksgving instead of grieving, I’m celebrating all the good things that life has given me the opportunity to seize; The 14 years I did have with Bruce, a healthy, happy family, beautiful home, great friends and a stable job that allows me to help my community while supporting myself.
We live in such a tumultuous time, that it’s important to focus on self and inner healing. Get outdoors. Experience the power and beauty of the mountains. Just be wise and get educated before you go.
Each of us has the power to heal ourselves and our planet if we make choices that lead us down the path of education, kindness and wellness. That’s real happiness, and for me, true wealth and the best reason to be thankful.
SIDEBAR:
Are you beeping?
I met a lot of people along the outdoor safety journey who share my passion because they too have lost someone they love. One mother, Janet Tally Walsh, and I share a particularly special bond. Like Bruce, she lost her son, Dr. Liam Walsh, the day before Thanksgiving in an avalanche when he was just 33.
Her stories of Liam, so like my Bruce, were of a man who lived life with ferocity, compassion for others and an unquenchable thirst for adventure.
Janet and her friends and family took a positive step by donating funds for the “Are You Beeping” project in Hatcher Pass. And thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers, there are now three signs installed and maintained in the Hatcher Pass State Recreation area today. You can help ensure project like this continue by lending your support to your local avalanche center.
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
1. COMMUNITY - Thankful for Mountains & So Much More 1: Recreation access to Archangel and Goldmint. Photo by Debra McGhan.
2. COMMUNITY - Thankful for Mountains & So Much More 2: Pioneer Peak. Photo by Debra McGhan.
3. COMMUNITY - Thankful for Mountains & So Much More 3: A popular ski run in Hatcher Pass. Photo by Debra McGhan.
4. COMMUNITY - Thankful for Mountains & So Much More 4: A Popular Ski Run in Hatcher Pass. Photo by Debra McGhan
