Why I Love the Mountains

Mountains are magnetic, and we are drawn to them. Maybe it’s because of what they force us to do, or become. We gaze upon them, we exalt them, then we climb them. On their paths we face hardship, but these we welcome because hardship helps us discover things we didn’t know or understand before, about ourselves.

On their summit we feel inspired, because we see how far we have come, and how much we have endured to be there. In that moment, when we stand in the sky, everything we see is surreal and far away. But what we feel is raw, and we are present.   

To climb a mountain, we can’t just want it. We have to hunger for it. When we want to climb a mountain but don’t hunger for it, we are easily distracted. Every mountain is different, and each presents different hardships and opportunity to discover. We are drawn to certain mountains at different times, and we can't control which mountain we are hungry for. But we need to recognize when we are truly hungry, or only just wanting. 

I’m beginning to realize I’ve been climbing the same mountain for a long time, yet there is another mountain that beckons. One that will undoubtedly bring a new set of challenges, but one that makes me hungry again.

I think it is time for me to explore.