Coyote Gulch

It's been 5 months today! My heart breaks with each new dawn but especially on the 25th of each month that passes. So I decided that I needed to write and think about something good in my life. Something to help me remember Terik in a sweet and positive way.

Terik was part of the scouting program since the age of twelve. His scout troop included most of the boys in our neighborhood and he had become very close to them over the years. Terik had become an eagle scout just a few weeks before he passed away. In January the boys and leaders had a planning meeting for an outing called High Adventure. Terik was there to help give his input.  The trip was scheduled for the first week of summer break. High Adventure is for all boys 16 to 18 years old. Terik told all the younger boys that he thought they should go to Coyote Gulch. He said it was his favorite scout trip ever. He loved hiking through the slick rocks barefoot, feeling so close to nature, and really roughing it. He enjoyed playing in the water and seeing the small waterfalls along the way. He felt like he grew closer to his troop on this trip more than any of the others. This is actually pretty impressive because they have gone to some pretty fun/cool places, including boating at Lake Powell. They decided to go with his recommendation and went to Coyote Gulch. Terik was so excited that he said he was planning to go, even though he would already be 18 by the time of the trip.

    

Collecting rock and building the monument

The boys returned from their adventure several weeks ago. They brought me back these pictures. Some of the boys had the idea to make a little monument for Terik, not their leaders idea but their own. They knew how much he loved Coyote Gulch and they felt he should get to go with them.  They decided they should leave a piece of him that could always be there. So they took rocks, built a little monument, placed flowers on it, and put a picture of Terik inside. This was so touching to me that they would do this for Terik. I thought how impressive it was that a group of 16, 17, and 18 year old boys were so sentimental and thoughtful of someone else besides themselves. Okay,  let's be honest, we all know that most teenagers are so self absorbed that they have a hard time even seeing anyone or anything else but the person staring back at them in the mirror. At least that was how I was as a teenager, but I guess that could have just been me!

 

Terik's Scout Troop

I am continually impressed by their generosity and love. I feel they are very mature, beyond their years. I love these boys and feel grateful to them for always being good friends to Terik. Not just in this situation but throughout his whole life. They have also been very good to me and our family. I will often have one of them come up to me, during Sunday worship services or while we are out and about in the neighborhood. They will wrap their arms around me and give me a great big hug. They will tell me they love me and ask if their is anything they can do to help. They have helped me!

They have helped me to feel my boys arms around me. They have comforted me and my family. They have helped to keep Terik's memory alive. I love you Terik, your memory will live on forever!!!

The Monument they built for Terik