Before and After, Day 1

It’s the 7th anniversary of an event that became a “before and after” event in my life. Seven years ago my brother, Gordon, was hunting in the mountains, got lost, and was not found before he died of hypothermia.

As this website is a place for me to record my journey for me and for others, this week on this anniversary, I am posting each day as I reflect on the week between the knowing he was missing and the memorial service a week later. November 6th, 2005 marks my life into “before” & “after.”

Perhaps in the midst of my reflections, you will find something to encourage you in your journey through loss or help you as you support others who have suffered loss. Today, I will spend my time at a big Creative Memories event, celebrating life by creating Storybook albums of my family get-togethers

November 6, 2005, 9:30 pm
It’s Sunday and Galen and I are doing our lazy Sunday evening thing –
sitting on the couch, watching a movie.
9:30 pm and Dad calls us with news –
Gordon had been hunting with Paul Fisher in the mountains south of Big Timber. He was to have met Paul “down over the hill” and has failed to meet up with him.

That was 5 hours ago.

I am stunned and scared.
Dad sounds hopeful and after all, Gordon has been lost before
He always shows up.
Surely he will be found even though he is going to have a miserable night.
The temps are in the low 30’s and it’s lightly snowing.
I try to tell myself he’ll be ok, just miserable.
They say he as has survival kit with him and some kind of fold-up blanket.
It turns out that wasn’t true.
How I wish it had been.

I get up from the couch, saying to Galen,
“I hope my brother has not used up his 9 lives.”
Everyone jokes about how accident prone he is –
always getting into scrapes . . .
always managing to get out of them.

Eventually I go to bed,
certain he will be found by morning
Everything will be OK and we can get back to normal.

Continue reading the story as it unfolds HERE