Were You Close?

A successful radiologist and elite athlete, Dr. Dave tended to the blistered feet of strangers on race courses and gave many of his trophies away. He was known for his generosity and camaraderie with family, friends, colleagues, and adventure racing teammates, the latter of whom usually accompanied him on excursions. But he embarked on his final pursuit alone—an attempt to summit all 54 of the 14ers in Colorado—and made an unknowable error, falling 200 feet to his death. When people learned that he had died, they often asked his sister, the only girl and baby of the family, "Were you close?" The question, seemingly simple at first, haunted her and begged for its own inquiry, a journey that took a decade. She invites the reader along on her own adventure as she searches for clarity about who her brother was, why his passions were worth risking everything, and how to live in the world and her family without him, ultimately becoming even closer to him in death than in life. Were You Close? challenges the cultural notion that the bereaved should simply "get over" their losses, illustrating that integrating these experiences can actually help a mourner not just heal, but move forward with clarified purpose.