By Julie Buehler
All I knew was that I wanted to spend some time with my sister-in-law, Carli.
We decided a hike would be fun.
I knew there was this Cross on top of a hill and I knew it was in Palm Desert. So I Googled “Palm Desert Cross Hike” and the address 72500 Thrush Street came up on my phone.
Ok. Sounds like a solid Sunday morning. A hike, my sis and some sunshine.
I had no idea how important this hike would become and what it meant to so many people.
Once parked, we traversed the desert landscape of rocks and sand and brush and brown and I explained to Carli how much life was just like this: You have to walk through the ordinary or ugly to get to the top and enjoy true perspective.
So we hiked and talked and learned more and more about each other and as we navigated the terrain I was simply thankful to have such a wonderful sister-in-law, health and a nice day to enjoy it all.
I don’t know how long the hike is but I can tell you it doesn’t matter, what you find at the top is worth a journey of 10,000 miles.
Once Carli and I got to the Cross, with it’s big, goofy light bulbs in the daytime belying the beauty it shines over the valley at night, we sat in awe and overlooked the Coachella Valley. We talked about the irony of bright green golf courses in wake of crippling drought. We remembered the rocky road of sand and brush and brown on our way up that was now just a tan canvas painted with an entire community of people and friends and families.
It’s always rewarding to reach the top of any hike and survey the beauty, but this time, something else caught my eye.
There was a mailbox nailed to the back of the Cross. Stuffed inside were a couple leather-bound journals, notes, spiral notebooks and messages. As an instinctively curious person, I initially thought, “Gosh, how cool” it was like a time capsule or message in a bottle that we hear about in great adventure novels.
And when I began to read what others had written, I realized what an adventure life is for everyone.
I opened a journal that said “Thoughts and Wisdom” on the front.
First page I opened to: “Our son is a miracle in Jesus Christ. 4 years ago he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and necrosis of the brainstem. Today he hiked all the way to the cross at 6 years old. We are eternally thankful for his health and happiness. Hope for Isaiah.” 3/18/15
On 3/31/15 a gal from New Jersey, Regina, she spelled her name in cursive, wrote: “This place is beautiful and thought-provoking! It is a glorious lookout to help find inner peace and enjoy nature at its best state… pure and untouched. Thank you for this wonderful experience! I will enjoy it through photos! Love from New Jersey, Regina”
Someone who’s name is illegible left a powerful message just pages after Regina: “At my lowest, I came up here for my first time and experienced this beautiful Cross and see how many people leave a little of themselves behind. I am blessed.”
On the same page, Jackey, I think that’s the name, wrote, “I hope to find inner peace to be able to love myself the way I am and allow someone else to love me.” And then two lines beneath Jackey, a man named DPF wrote some days later, “I pray for my wife to be happy with herself…”
I turned the page.
“Please pray for my wife, Pamela, she is recovering and battling leukemia. I love her more every day! Josh”
There are messages for brothers and sisters and moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas and prayers for peace and health and change.
It’s pages and pages of hope.
It’s your neighbor and mine leaving their most vulnerable messages at the top of a mountain where only those who understand the journey required to get to the top will be reading them.
It’s the true heartbeat of our community.
Open those pages and you’ll read about the rejoicing of a parent’s prayers answered and just pages later, feel the heartbreak of a husband who’s only course of action for his wife was etching a simple line of language requesting strangers send prayers up on her behalf.
I felt honored to share those moments with strangers. I welled with love and sent up my thoughts and prayers for those hurting and agreed with the messages of gratitude. It was profound to connect with others in such a meaningful, albeit anonymous, way.
Except they aren’t anonymous anymore.
To Josh: my prayers are with your wife Pamela! May her recovery be swift and her life a testimony to strength.
To DPF: I pray your wife loves herself as much as you love her and I hope she can pass that message to others.
To Jackey: May your prayers be fulfilled and your peace restored and may you see how much others love you for who you are.
To Regina: Thank you for sharing your appreciation for our valley! We love it too!
To Isaiah’s Mom: Your son is a gift. And so is your faith! May it grow stronger every day.
And to the person who’s name remains a mystery: We are all so blessed to share this experience with one another.
I hiked back down the mountain with immense pride in our community and those who shared parts of themselves with a pure heart.
Nothing like a nice hike, some sunshine and inspiration on a Sunday afternoon.
Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 2-4 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station. She can also be seen every morning between 6-7am on KMIR sharing the coolest stories in sports. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in M-F 2-4 pst at www.team1010.com or watch “Buehler’s Day Off” on Ustream and KMIR.com for her sports reports.
