Hi Miles,

It’s Father’s day 2017. A lot has happened since I last wrote to you I’m sure. One major milestone is that you have graduated Kindergarten. I’m so very proud of you! A major milestone for me is that since your birthday when you asked me to quit smoking, I have remained tobacco free. 4 months now. I’m proud of myself for that accomplishment.

The inspiration for today’s letter came on the drive home from Townsend. It was a beautiful drive back to Helena with huge clouds and gorgeous blue skies breaking through and a gorgeous setting Sun. The green fields and and big sky were fantastic. Of course, the mountains that we get to see in Helena are incredible as always. And that is where we start.

As we were driving back, I was just trying to soak in all the beauty in the moment. The sun breaking through the clouds, the green fields and the amazing backdrop the mountains provided.

Then I started thinking; how funny is it that we see mountain ranges as these breathtaking scenes and how beautiful and majestic they are. I’m not saying they aren’t, the truly are! And we are so blessed to see such beautiful mountains in Montana. Then I started to think about them more. I learned in church today there is a Mountain in Alaska called Fairweather Mountain. It’s called that because you can only see the mountain when the weather is fair. It’s a HUGE mountain, but the weather is always so cloudy and forecast that you rarely get the chance to see it.

The funny thing about mountains is that from a distance they are breathtaking. Up close they can seem an impossible journey. So then I started thinking about how sometimes in life we are forced to climb mountains. Life has a way of throwing difficult things at us and we must face them. We MUST make the journey through them whether we want to or not. These journey’s could be like ascending a mountain. At first, it may seem so impossible. But you just start. At some point, you’ll be at the top. You might get there and there will be other people there. Who took a different path than you. But there you are at the top, with the challenge behind you and view and future ahead that easier, because you’re now stronger and better than before.

At the top, you can choose to think about how difficult it was to get there, but you’ll more than likely just focus on the view ahead from within that moment. So, thinking about this, it seems like approaching challenges in life as mountains is a great approach. But looking at the challenges ahead as a beautiful backdrop. A difficult journey, but one that comes with great reward and satisfaction. Looking at problems and challenges in this way is a rare thing indeed. As rare as the days you can see Fairweather Mountain.

Miles, I hope that you choose to take these difficult journey’s head-on. I hope you charge into them fiercely. Unafraid. Knowing full-well you have everything it takes to get to the top, to come out on the other side stronger and better. Son, there is nothing wrong with looking at even the most difficult challenges as a beautiful backdrop. Because when you get through it, it’s almost always better.