The Wall

I learned to ski when I was seven. It wasn’t a question of whether or not I would ski, or even if I liked to ski. It was a given; everyone skied in our family, including my mother, who gamely learned to ski after she started dating my father in college.
 

So when my father took me to the top of Mt. Normandale (now Hyland Hills) and showed me approximately how to get down, I followed him, scared all the way. 

After conquering my early fears, I learned to love skiing. I mean REALLY LOVE IT. I married a good skier and between us, we raised three good skiers. Year after year, we returned to our favorite family ski area, Snowmass at Aspen. But there was one part of the mountain I avoided: the dreaded Wall and Hanging Valley Glades, all of it double black territory.

So let me tell you why, after 48 years of skiing, I decided to ski that part of the mountain. One could say it took me that long to build up my courage. But I was not confident; I was scared. My husband told me that I would have at least one moment of oh sh**, I can’t do this, and I did. It hit me while standing at the very top of the steepest slope I have ever skied. The moguls were the size of my VW Beetle. The hill was vertical. Literally straight down. 

Scared, I “hacked” my way down it. I did not fall. As I strung together more imperfect turns, my confidence grew. And when we made our way down steep chutes filled with trees, I started to have fun.

Life is like that: we face many obstacles, some of them planned, others unknown. But in that moment of facing our fear, we realize we can do it. We’re not in charge, but we can make a turn, and then another, and soon, we realize we have made it down the mountain. 

I may not ski those slopes again, but now I know I can. It is good to know.

23^rd Anniversary--Time flies!

Today marks the 23^rd anniversary of Lilja Inc. I founded the company when I was 32, mother of three young children under the age of six. Now I’m 55, mother of three young adults. Thanks to everyone I’ve met along the way – those who have been our clients, and those who have worked here – you have made our success and longevity possible. 

 -- Mary Lilja