I’m struggling to come to terms with a tragedy in my husband’s extended family. I can’t write about it on Facebook because relatives would see the post, including the family affected by the tragedy. So I’m putting it here to help myself process.

My husband has a cousin; we’ll call her “Lydia.” She is a lovely, kind, smart woman who never married until around age 60. She met a man around her age whom we’ll call Ron who fell head over heels in love with her. He had a great job; they got married just a few years ago. They obviously love and appreciate each other so much. In all her Facebook posts, Lydia looks radiantly happy, and we have all been delighted at this later-in-life romance and very happy for them both.

Ron wanted to do a 21-day hike on the John Muir trail which would start at Mt. Whitney and end, three weeks later, at Yellowstone National Park. Lydia helped him get the permit to do the hike and supported him in many ways while he prepared for it. He flew out there a few days ago. Monday was Lydia’s birthday; she posted on FB a bouquet that Ron ordered from California for her birthday, and she wrote warmly about how much she loves him and how happy she is that he gets to fulfill his dream of taking this extended hike.

This morning we received word that yesterday (Tuesday), he died on the trail. It wasn’t a fall; an autopsy will be done this week; my husband and I are speculating that perhaps he wasn’t adequately acclimated to the altitude and had a cardiac event.

They were only married for a few years; they were SO happy. I’ve been thinking all morning, why did this tragedy have to happen to them, of all people? And the day after her birthday. Her heart is surely shattered. It’s so awful and seems so incredibly unfair. If anyone in the world didn’t deserve this, it’s Lydia.