Good Friends

Brent Fryhoff and Jay Johnson are two of my choicest friends. Brent and I have known each other since 5th grade when I moved to St. Charles, Missouri. Jay moved to St. Charles around our sophomore or junior year. It's amazing how you can know someone for a relatively short amount of time yet bond together as if you had been friends since time began. That's how Jay fit in. We went to college together; we served church missions (Brent-Argentina, Jay-Italy, David-Venezuela) at the same time; and we've stayed in touch ever since we returned home 9 years ago and transitioned into adulthood.

Not much has changed.

Each of us has now turned 30 and we decided it was time to have a reunion and hike Mt. Timpanogos again. We had hiked it together 12 years ago while attending college.

This first picture is for my mom. (reminder: if you click on the pictures they get bigger) Both my mom and sisters were quite concerned for my safety. I was no longer 18 and they didn't think wrestling with my 5 kids counted as sufficient exercise to tackle such an excursion. Plus, pneumonia the week before didn't help my case. But I insisted that everything would be fine (and it was).

I was in Richmond this past week at a leadership conference for work. John Spence was our keynote speaker. He didn't really share anything new...just a different perspective. But he was effective and inspiring. One role as a leader is to inspire the hearts of others. I reflected upon this hike not even a month ago. Shortly after we began, we could see the summit of Timp behind a ridge far in the distance.

As we journeyed closer, the elevation, my backpack, and my legs were not helping me. I had not prepared for the additional weight that a sleeping bag, tent, and essential camping gear place on one's shoulders. It was a hard lesson to learn.

But here's what inspired me: seeing the summit off in the distance and knowing the satisfaction I would have from that vantage point; looking back to see the view I had already earned; enjoying my current surroundings; and good friends who spoke words of encouragement...and kept moving forward knowing I would follow them.

That is a visual that will stay in my mind for the rest of my life. Our goals need to be clear...we need to know what we're working towards. Occasionally, we need to look back to see how we got to where we are. We need to enjoy where we are currently. And we need to surround ourselves with good friends who will walk the path with us.

Here are a few pictures from the journey:

It was everything I needed it to be. We talked as only friends can. And we had a blast. Now Brent is back in California. Jay is home in Georgia. And I'm in Virginia. I miss them. But I look forward to our next reunion in the future. Thanks guys!