The nine national parks in the Golden State — including Yosemite, Death Valley and Joshua Tree — attracted nearly 12 million recreational visits in 2025, according to statistics from the National Park Service.

I’ve lingered over a long lunch with Kathie Lee Gifford and we’ve talked about it through all kinds of brimming: Every one of us will face moments that redefine everything we thought we knew—moments of profound loss that leave us searching for meaning in the midst of heartbreak. These moments carve deep lines in our lives, dividing time into “before” and “after,” and leaving us to wrestle with qu…