Enormous, powerful, terrifying.
I could have stayed in the valley with the others
(They seem content to be there)
But I'm not happy in the valley anymore.
The valley has never been my home.
I am meant for higher places
That can only be reached by climbing this mountain.
Parts of my climb have had clear, level pathways
Easy peasy, and I take it as it comes.
I climb, I rest, I sing, I catch my breath.
But other parts are treacherous as I hold on with my fingertips
Small stones slipping under my weary feet
Hands bloody and raw from the climb.
I struggle to keep from falling, moving slowly upward
And I dare not look behind me.
There is no safety rope, no net to catch me.
I either climb or fall. I cannot remain on the side of the mountain.
Sometimes the weather is perfect for climbing
And I enjoy my journey in the sunshine
Gentle breezes whispering that I can make it.
Other times it's cold and wet
When the storms come and the clouds and fog are blinding.
Much of the climb is a slippery slope.
Those days make me wonder
Why I ever decided to climb this mountain at all
When I could have stayed behind
In the safe, familiar valley.
But then I remember why I left, and where I'm going
And I climb on.
You are climbing this same mountain.
You're climbing from the other side
And I catch glimpses of you from time to time.
I watch you struggle and strain like I do
Fighting to hold on like I do
Contending with weather, doubts, enemies, and danger
Like I do.
I hear you cry out in anguish to the mountain itself
"Why did you call to me, beckoning me to climb?
Why did I leave the valley - the Devil I know -
For the chance of a better life? What if I die here? What is the point?"
And you climb on.
Truth is, we know why we're climbing.
If we don't give up, we will one day reach the top
The high ground, the place we've always dreamed of.
At the peak of the mountain we will be together
Each having followed our own perilous path
Each having climbed under our own power
No one pushing or pulling us, no one helping or catching us
Building our own muscles and confidence as we climb.
When we reach the top we will know without a doubt
That we have done the impossible.
We climbed that majestic, monstrous mountain and made it to the top.
No one believed we could do it
Not even us.
It doesn't matter who arrives first
What matters is that we both make it
To the place we've worked so hard to reach
The place that's meant for us.
The view from there will be breathtakingly beautiful.
We will see the valley and all of the people who remain there
Living their valley lives, rarely looking at the mountain above
Heads down in day-to-day living, drowning in apathy
Afraid to climb, held hostage by fears
Never knowing there's a way out of the valley and up the mountain.
That was us, not so long ago.
From the top we will be able to see
Fellow climbers scaling the mountainside ever-slowly
Working hard, reaching, bleeding, slowly upward
Determined on some days and doubtful on others.
Our eyes meet in understanding, because we know.
This mountain nearly defeated us, too.
You will take my hand and we will call to them from the top
With love, with words of life
And tell them of the beauty that awaits them.
We tell them that we believe they can do it - we believe in them
We write and sing to them songs of hope
That echo down the mountain and into the valley
"Keep climbing, don't give up!"
"Look up and dare to dream!"
The peak at the top is not a point, as one might think
But rather, a vast expanse
Flat, green, and surrounded by a range of mountains
As far as they eye can see.
To our surprise, this mountain is just part of
Many mountain ranges, hundreds - perhaps thousands of mountains
Where millions of other travelers are climbing
And more millions still living in the valleys below.
We discover mountains and paths
That lead even higher than we are now,
And we wonder where they would take us.
We gather with the others
And there are many
Who have journeyed and climbed
And are now resting in the vast, green expanse.
They welcome us, and we know we belong here.
These are our people.
Those who climbed and survived against all odds.
But today, I am struggling.
I'm on the side of the mountain, scratching and scraping
Thinking about the future, the life I'm fighting for
Reminding myself of the truth and the reward
Sweating profusely, arms extended, reaching, pulling,
Fighting the elements without and within
Desperately seeking sure footing for one more step
One more push
So I can move just a little bit higher today.
I know you're climbing today, too
Dreaming, like me, of new life at the top.
We must keep climbing
We must believe
We must hold on
Another day closer
To the place we are meant to be.
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