When I was growing up outside of Chicago, I had magazine cut outs taped to my walls from an ad campaign which I assume was run by the Colorado Department of Tourism. Each advertisement consisted of a photo of gorgeous Colorado scenery tagged with a line ending in, “Guess I’d rather be in Colorado.”
A couple I remember are:
“Guess I’d rather be where the longest lines I see are behind my skis, guess I’d rather be in Colorado.”
And,
“Guess I’d rather be where the biggest crowds I see are in the sky, guess I’d rather be in Colorado.
And now, here I am in Colorado living the dream, living in one of the only places in the world where we pray for snow and rejoice when it comes. This weekend was no exception. Powder! Blue Skies! Sunshine!
But the best part? FAMILY.
In the middle of the winter cold, I live in a place where family can still be outside together. Still breathing fresh air. Still finding the warmth of each other and the joy in new powder.
My highlight this weekend was a small window in just under two hours, where the five of us hit a well-loved trail together under a Colorado blue, sun-filled sky. After a minor rough start, we found our rhythm and breath and followed our dogs through the trees, up a hill, across a single-track trail and over a bridge with the river gurgling underneath, Her breath still strong beneath the ice.
And as I looked around me, and at that river, and at the four people I love very most in the world walking before me, I realized; They are my river. They are my strength. They are my breath. And that even in the cold, even with the ice, even in a storm, they are there.
I thought about this a minute and realized this is why I am in Colorado. Together this crew of mine and I have summited 14,000-foot mountains. We have swum in freezing rivers and mountain lakes. We have camped through pitch black nights. We have spent seven hours stuck on I-70 in a snowstorm. We have skied in ice and powder, we have picked wildflowers, and we have hiked in both heat and snow.
And what an analogy this state, this beautiful place is, for our life! We never know what each day will bring. We have had occasions where our lives change in an instant, both terrifying and joyous. We have held each other through tragic news, supported each other through difficult times, jumped up and down together with incredible news and celebrated amazing milestones. Together we get through every season, every storm, every powder day!
And I realize my adult ad, my current ad that I would like to put on my wall now for this great state goes something like this:
“I guess I’d rather be where family can survive any season, together. I guess I’d rather be in Colorado.”
With warm winter blessings from my family to yours no matter where you live,
