Greetings from Glacier National Park

It was September, 2011, and I was in the midst of what I called my trek. I had promised myself that I would visit Glacier NP after seeing pictures of it somewhere or other. About one year earlier I had been diagnosed with cancer and during the period when I was recovering from surgery, I gained a lot of weight and the arthritis, which exercise had kept at bay, had invaded my body. But I determined I would make this hike to Hidden Lake. People passed me on the way, children among them. But I kept going and was rewarded with this view as I sat and rested. A young couple joined me, The woman, a scarf wrapped around her head, sat next to me. She was just a girl, really, slight, pretty. Soon we were talking and somehow or other, my cancer came up. She listened to my story, and then told me that she was being treated for brain cancer. I commented on her attitude, on the aura of peace that seemed to envelope her. How do you do it, I asked. And she told me about her faith in God, about her, what I would call, relationship with God, and how she trusted in Him. There we were, two people of a different age, thrown together by sheer chance, both dealing with cancer, one with a serene, sure sense and belief that all would be well. I didn’t and don’t believe in God, but she inspired me to rediscover my feelings about being an integral part of the universe, and to deal with my own cancer in a manner approaching hers. I only deeply regret I didn’t take her picture so I could have tangible evidence that we really did meet. After all, she said her name was Helena and we were in Montana.

Sincerely,
David