Boys' Trip

John took the boys backpacking overnight in the White Mountains of New Hampshire the other day. As I helped them pack, the typical stuff ran through my mind for what the boys needed: tooth brush, extra socks, sweatshirt, hiking boots. John packed the food, water, sleeping bags, and other necessities in his pack. By the time he was done, his pack weight exceeded 50 pounds. The boys' packs...well...they didn't have packs. They're only four, after all, and they needed to put all of their energy into their hike. All 3.5 miles- ONE WAY!

As I said goodbye to my ambitious guys, my thoughts progressed from packing the extra supplies they would need, to anticipating some of the conditions they might encounter. Would they be warm enough? Are they really going to be able to handle this? How steep are those drop-offs? What if there are bears? A forest fire? And shouldn't we appropriately microchip each boy so he can be scanned, GPS'd and tracked every second?

As hard as it was to suppress these thoughts, I kissed my baby boys and wished them well, as they pulled out of our driveway and headed off for adventure. I didn't see them again until after 5:00 p.m. the next day, when the girls and I drove part way to meet them. I couldn't help the sigh of relief when I saw everyone together, unmawled by bears, and in one piece. But the best part was seeing the proud, beaming smiles through dirt-covered faces. My guys had accomplished something difficult in their young lives and they knew it. They came back as little mountain men: excited, exhausted, and with a new sense of self-confidence that they will carry with them into the next phase of their lives.

That alone, I decided, is worth the extra gray hairs I pulled out of my head concerning myself with them over this trip. Somehow, I think there will be many more moments of parenthood I will encounter, like this one. And thus many, many more gray hairs.