To honor my mom and my brother, both of whom passed away at the Aroostook House of Comfort (my mom in September 2022 and my brother in May 2023), our family decided to hike to the summit of Mt. Katahdin on August 26th. My mom always loved Katahdin, often referring to it as "The Mountain" or "her Mountain." For several months prior to the hike, I prepared/trained by going to the gym and going on smaller local hikes. We also decided to use this as a fundraising opportunity to benefit the Aroostook House of Comfort and had an amazing response.
The day of our hike began drizzly but do-able. We got about 3 miles into the hike (almost to the tree line), and it began to pour, hail, and then thunder/lightning. As much as we wanted to honor their memories, we knew they wouldn't want us to be in danger, so we made the difficult decision to turn around. Every hiker we encountered along the way back down had also turned around before reaching the summit. Although we didn't reach the summit, we did come across a place on the trail that my mom had her picture taken at about 35 years ago, a picture I carried with me as we hiked. My daughter suggested I have my picture taken in the same spot.
I believe the desire to hike Katahdin came from God, and so I believe He will work it out for me to hike it—someday. That was just not the right day. He wasn't saying no, just "not yet." Even though my heart and mind were ready, my body may not have been (as much as I had believed it was), and God could see that. As I've processed what happened, I'm choosing to believe that all things happen for a reason, and there was a reason we weren't meant to summit that day. I am continuing with taking care of myself, grieving two very significant losses, and trusting God with the process. I have had endless support from friends and family throughout this journey, for which I am eternally grateful.
I miss them more than I can explain, but I know they would be proud of me and of the over $1,100 that we raised to benefit the Aroostook House of Comfort in their memories.
- Melissa Dyer
