Jason, this was a delight to read! You captured the nostalgia and camaraderie of the summer expedition mingled with the complexity of grief so well. As a parent of children, now close to 30, who were led by wise poet/leaders, and later led trips themselves, I can attest to the way these experiences shape a life. Thank you for this piece, which names the love and the loss so skillfully.
Thank you, Susan. It was a pleasure to dip back into those memories. It was a marvelous place that for nearly a century got kids out into the mtns and rivers, and had a lot of fun in between too. No longer active, sadly. I hadn't attended, but got pulled in as trip leader from some grad school friends. I loved the Allagash trips in particular.
Beautiful - thank you Jason!
Thank you for this beautiful reflection.
Jason, this was a delight to read! You captured the nostalgia and camaraderie of the summer expedition mingled with the complexity of grief so well. As a parent of children, now close to 30, who were led by wise poet/leaders, and later led trips themselves, I can attest to the way these experiences shape a life. Thank you for this piece, which names the love and the loss so skillfully.
Thank you, Susan. It was a pleasure to dip back into those memories. It was a marvelous place that for nearly a century got kids out into the mtns and rivers, and had a lot of fun in between too. No longer active, sadly. I hadn't attended, but got pulled in as trip leader from some grad school friends. I loved the Allagash trips in particular.