• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Because the Family that Skis Together, Enjoys Life Together.
  • Home
  • About
    • Awards
    • Featured Author
    • Brand Ambassador
  • Brave Ski Mom Stickers
  • Contact Me

The Brave Ski Mom

Building a new generation of skiers and snowboarders.

  • Skiing
    • Skiing With Kids
    • Ski Racing
    • Learn to Ski
    • Cross Country Skiing
    • Telemark Skiing
    • Snowboarding
  • Ski Resort Reviews
    • United States
      • Alaska
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Connecticut
      • Idaho
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Montana
      • Nevada
      • New Hampshire
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • Utah
      • Vermont
      • Washington
      • West Virginia
      • Wisconsin
      • Wyoming
    • Argentina
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Bulgaria
    • Canada
    • Chile
    • France
    • Finland
    • Greece
    • Italy
    • Japan
    • New Zealand
  • Ski Gear Checklist and Recommendations
    • Equipment and Gear
    • Product Reviews
    • Brave Ski Mom Stickers
  • Hiking
    • Camping
  • Biking
    • Downhill Biking
    • Mountain Biking
    • Road Biking
  • Good Stuff
    • Parenting
    • Health
      • Getting in Shape
    • Reflections

Holding You in the Light

July 6, 2015 by braveskimom

morning light snowmass
Morning light, Snowmass, Colorado.

brave ski mom logoOn June 8, I took, what to me seemed at the time, a huge risk. I published a post about having cancer.

And I asked for your love and support.

The post went up about 4:00 am mountain time, which is, of course, 6:00 am in the east. So I shouldn’t have been surprised when I opened my email as the sun was rising and found a message from a skier in Maine.

Here is what it said.

Friends have a phrase they use, which is a nuanced Quakerly version of “we are praying for you.” They say, “we are holding you in the light.” I am holding you in the light.

It was the first, of many, many messages that day that made me cry (in a good way).

sunset lake arena costa rica
Sunset over Lake Arenal, Costa Rica.

For on that day, and in the days that followed, so very many of you reached out with similar sentiments.

Texts, voice mails, Facebook likes and posts, comments on my website: every time someone would reach out, I’d feel bolstered against my fear, and later, against my pain.

With each contact, I was overwhelmed – both by the caring and the generosity of so many who were praying, chanting, sending positive thoughts, projecting healing energy – and by the love each person expressed.

I’d feel myself in the light, supported by a cast of thousands. And as the light of so many combined prayers grew brighter, I grew stronger, physically and mentally.

sunlight frontside of mountain
Morning sun at Sunlight Mountain Resort, Colorado

Never Alone

Once upon a time, in a land before kids, I was a student at a mid-Atlantic university, studying for a graduate degree in Political Science (I know…what was I thinking?)

During this time, we were assigned a book that bemoaned the fracturing of American society and predicted a dystopian society in which people would be isolated in their homes, devoid of human fellowship, sitting alone in front of their TVs and computers.

Looking back at that thesis, it’s laughable.

Yes, I, like so many people, spend many hours in my office, in front of a computer. But these hours are never spent in isolation or loneliness.

Rather, many of them are spent in the expanded company of more friends than I can count, and quite possibly, more than I deserve.

While I may be the only one in the room, I know I’m never really alone.

silver star bc in the sun
The sun goes down early in December  at Silver Star Mountain Resort, British Columbia. But every afternoon, there is a golden hour when the sun falls beneath the cloud layer.

Generous Love

So with that, I want to once again thank each of you who have prayed, chanted, sent energy and positive thoughts to me over the past month. I know what you did and I know that it helped.

Not even two weeks out of surgery, I had sad news from a friend who had just received a cancer diagnosis of his own. (If I didn’t know it before, I know it now: this disease is relentless.)

Thanks to the example of so many friends and so many strangers, I knew how to react.

I am holding him and his family in the light.

sunset over santa cruz island
Sunset over Santa Cruz Island, California.

And I’m here for you, too. Should you find yourself in need of prayers, of being held in the light, reach out.

You’ll be amazed at what you receive. Not from just from me, but from all who hold you dear, whether you know them or not.

It’s an amazing world out there, filled with incredibly generous people, and boundless loving light.

And when we all work together, we’re miraculous.

Thank you for being on my team. I will gladly be on yours.

Just ask.

sunlight through the forest snowmass
Dappled snow in a forest clearing, Snowmass, Colorado.

Related Posts:

  • The Rock in My Way, June 8, 2015.
  • The Not at All Brave (Ski) Mom, June 22, 2015.
  • Lessons Learned, August 3, 2015.

© 2015 – 2017, braveskimom. All rights reserved. Any use or publication of content, including photos, requires express permission.

Spread the Love (thanks!)

  • Email
  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Related

Filed Under: Health, Reflections Tagged With: friends, health

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    July 6, 2015 at 7:21 am

    Brave Ski Mom, I’d like to wish you and your family the best of luck while you get through this difficult time. I know you will pull through. The way you’ve handled this ordeal online is amazing. I truly admire your approach. I’m also looking forward to more posts. You matter to more people than you even know!

    • braveskimom says

      July 6, 2015 at 7:18 pm

      Dear Sarah, thank you so much. I really appreciate you reaching out and your encouragement!

  2. Wendy Clinch says

    July 6, 2015 at 7:24 am

    As usual, lovely and gracious. You’re the best! Hugs to you, Brave Ski Mom!

    • braveskimom says

      July 6, 2015 at 7:17 pm

      Thanks Wendy! I so appreciate your friendship and support!

  3. minda mason says

    July 6, 2015 at 8:01 am

    Well said. The Masons are definitely on your team!!! Strong lady

    • braveskimom says

      July 6, 2015 at 7:15 pm

      Thanks Minda! Happy to have our teams together. We appreciate Team Mason!

  4. julesolder says

    July 6, 2015 at 8:02 am

    Well, BSM, you just lit up my day.

    • braveskimom says

      July 6, 2015 at 7:14 pm

      Thanks Jules. Always appreciate your support.

  5. Adrienne SI says

    July 6, 2015 at 9:44 am

    What a beautiful sentiment! I think I will put that phrase in my pocket for the future.

    • braveskimom says

      July 6, 2015 at 7:13 pm

      I agree. It’s a keeper. Thanks!

  6. Carol Northrup says

    July 6, 2015 at 11:03 am

    Another beautiful post … I’ll continue Holding you in the Light … thanks for providing a little Light for all of us.

    • braveskimom says

      July 6, 2015 at 7:12 pm

      You bet Carol. Sharing the love across the thousands of miles. Thinking of you and your family.

  7. Nancy says

    July 6, 2015 at 5:23 pm

    Lying in my hospital bed 3 days post op. THANK YOU

    • braveskimom says

      July 6, 2015 at 7:10 pm

      Dear Nancy, light and love coming to you. Prayers for complete healing. Thanks for asking.

  8. feonicamartinez says

    July 6, 2015 at 10:22 pm

    Hi! Together with the readers and commentators here on your page. We are praying for you and your family. That may get through with all these trials. Just keep the faith and never lose hope.

    • braveskimom says

      July 11, 2015 at 9:46 am

      Thank you so much, Feonica! I appreciate your concern.

  9. John R. LaPlante says

    July 10, 2015 at 7:04 pm

    “I was … studying for a graduate degree in Political Science (I know…what was I thinking?)”

    Hey! I resemble that remark! And it’s worked out fine, though not in the way I had planned.

    Great post there. The only thing missing from it was the photo from the hospital bed of your smiling face.

    • braveskimom says

      July 11, 2015 at 9:49 am

      Things never work out quite as planned do they John? And yet, they work out as they should. Here’s the photo you requested! Thanks so much for your prayers and concerns.

      BSM in Mn

Primary Sidebar

2023-2024 Partners

FERA
World Snow Day
FERA

Welcome

I'm Kristen, a western Colorado mom, wife and trail boss in a busy outdoor family. Our family has a passion for skiing and my goal is to provide information to help other families enjoy their skiing adventures. Whether you have tiny toddlers just learning to slide or grown children with whom you're planning a reunion, you're in the right place. Cheers!

Never Miss a Post

Enter your email address to subscribe. You'll receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow Me

FacebookInstagram Pinterest Twitter

Today’s Most Popular Posts

  • No Snow? No Problem: Summer Skiing in North America
    No Snow? No Problem: Summer Skiing in North America
  • Québec City: My Kind of Ski Town
    Québec City: My Kind of Ski Town
  • Why Our Family Likes to Ski at Teton Village, Wyoming
    Why Our Family Likes to Ski at Teton Village, Wyoming
  • Tight Turns: Spring Skiing Sunscreen and Gorilla Glue Repairs
    Tight Turns: Spring Skiing Sunscreen and Gorilla Glue Repairs
  • You Gotta Get It: The Ski House Cookbook
    You Gotta Get It: The Ski House Cookbook
  • Lutsen Mountains Ski Resort: Minnesota's North Shore Skiing Destination
    Lutsen Mountains Ski Resort: Minnesota's North Shore Skiing Destination

Categories

Footer

Recent Tweets

My Tweets

Featured In

snowlink world snow day snowkidz
liftopia mtn town learn to ski and snowboard mom trends
Copyright © 2025 · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · Affiliate Disclosure · Product Review & Giveaway Policy · Guest Post Policy · Privacy Policy · Login
 

Loading Comments...