I remember doing this hike for the very first time and I welled up in tears as soon as I saw that turquoise blue water peaking through the trees.
I’ve gone back several times, experiencing different seasons and staying at a different lakes each time and to this day, the emotions take over every time. This past time was a breakthrough moment for me.
Pushing on to Palisade Glacier for the first time, it was a pretty strenuous one. It challenged me on so many levels. Shaky legs, dirty sweat grime, and a blazing fire in the belly. If you know, you know. Everything burns.
These mountains continue to bring out the best of me, but not without some deep dives into painful experiences. The mental cluster of it all and constant what the F’s, I’m always amazed at what the human body can endure. It all applies to LIFE- both painful and beautiful, we learn overtime to appreciate both. The hardship is always in the journey.
A constant mantra for me- “I am strong, and I can do hard things.” I’ve overcome a multitude of things. I’ve been beat down, both physically and emotionally. I’ve been hit, sliced and stripped of every piece of self worth. I’ve walked through darkness, I’ve suffered loss after loss, and I’ve fallen apart multiple times. But I am here. I am alive and I’m okay.
None of those things define me. They didn’t make me a victim. Those hardships taught me valuable things and made me realize I was worthy of more. They made me a survivor. I picked myself up, I pushed through some extreme obstacles, and I walked away. I raised 3 kids, I climbed some mountains and returned to the wholeness of myself.
I no longer look at how far I have to go, I keep the focus on how far I’ve come, and I’m grateful for all the things I’m learning in between.
Lessons I’ve learned from the mountains-
Experience, joy and freedom are only a small part of it. The longing and the immediate feeling of closeness, as if a part of you were somewhere higher, between the summit and the waiting to meet. Between that silence and the sweet sound of the wind when you surrender to the moment. That moment is POWERFUL.
Our character and our strength is tested through hardship. It’s not weak to change and adapt. Flexibility is its own kind of strength. It is actually this flexibility combined with strength that make us resilient and unstoppable.
With every mountain, I’ve come to know myself a little more. I’ve learned that there is a potent energy that exists within me. There’s wisdom in my inner mountains, mysteries held in my inner forest, and an endless ocean of wonder that lives deep within that I will never stop exploring.