Moore Family

On October 11,2010

The Moore family and two dogs set off on a little journey that day. Mom & Dad had planned a family hike. Like, many others who have done similiar times before. We headed out our back yard approximately 11:15am to be exact w/ bottles of water and a few bars for a snack along our hike up the backside of Mt. Tzouhalem. 502 m heigh. We had lofty desires to reach the top and perhaps explore the multiple trails that spread Overlooking Maple bay. We might admit that we didn't start out so good, because some of our family members felt they were decieved into thinking it would be a "fun" & "quick" hike so they could quickly return to their wii games and movie watching on their thanksgiving holiday monday. Others, were adventurous and it would not be a stretch to say we ask them over 30xs to stay with the group and not to wonder to far ahead out of sight. It was tiresome not from the steep trail walking, but from the complaints of the slowpokes threatening to return home and constant questions of "are we there yet? or How much further?" or my favorite "okay, I am not taking one more step". I soon discovered that it wasn't in the destination that was going to be the reward that day but that we could manage to keep everyone's feelings intact and no murders to occur on Mt. T. If we sang a song that would annoy one person, and if we hurried too fast we'd leave someone dragging behind, it seemed a perfectly miserable Moore moment and It took the good part of 1 hr before we weren't getting on everyone's nerves every second and that actually maybe a happy normal family outing was seeming to emerge from the sweat and effort. At one point we even lost 2 members of our family that had gone ahead as little eager beavers do, we were upset that it took the good part of 15mins after calling for them at a fork in the trail, that we reconnected. But, after a few mins of rest and snack, Spirits started to lift and kindness was beginning to burst forth. We laughed at jokes, told stories and even made a few wishes. We had been walking for 2 hrs by now and brothers were bonding and encouraging one another. Sticks were no more war weapons and we were pleased by making it to the top, even getting lost and never finding the cross, stopping for a family prayer in those woods,heading home before dusk and getting an individual to work with 1min to spare to 4pm. Things weren't perfect and we had a few flare ups but It was a great accomplishment for us that day, Not that we walked 10km for 4hrs and made it home all in one piece b/c those were very good perks, but that we had transformed on that very mountain and forgave and loved each other more. I secretly, vowed we might stay up there until we learned to get along and be loving, as any mother would wish. But, it was the lesson the Lord had for the Moore family that day that was even better:

It is all about the journey.