This weekend I had the incredible opportunity to spend some time on MDI (Mount Desert Island). As most of you know it’s home to the exquisitely beautiful Acadia National Park. The colors, the blue sky, the sheer amazingness of nature there nurtures one’s soul beyond words.
One of my favorite mountains to hike there is Acadia Mountain. It’s on the Southwest Harbor side of the park, across the street from Echo Lake.
Every time I hike that mountain, I cry at the top. The beauty looking out over Somes Sound just takes my breath away. That is not to say there aren’t so many incredible hikes right here in our own back yard. (I might even dedicate another column to all of that wonderfulness.) We are all so freaking lucky to live in such a remarkably beautiful area.
Saturday morning, I hiked up Acadia Mountain with my amazing daughter and then again on Sunday with my equally amazing husband. It’s a moderate hike - not too, too strenuous - but my now 64-year-old body can definitely feel it in… ahem, new ways. (smile)
Whew.
On Sunday, as my husband and I approached the top, we were both getting very fatigued and super breathless and sweaty. I had moments of wondering if I was actually going to make it to the top.
And then we passed another couple on their way down who looked at our “oldish” bodies and exhausted faces and said, “Keep going, it’s worth every step!”
Having been to the top many times, we smiled in profound agreement.
And then I thought… what a great topic for my next column.
UPWARD – It’s Worth Every Step.
And couldn’t we just apply those beautiful words to any endeavor we embark on that lifts us and others UP?
Sometimes the steps to get there are SO hard. But if we know we are moving in the right direction, upward, it will be worth it.
Breaking through strained relationships with wide-open hearts, deep eye contact, and radical honesty - so hard, but worth every step.
Moving into a healthier lifestyle and breaking habits that no longer serve us - so hard, but worth every step.
12-step programs - so hard, but worth every step.
Forgiveness - so hard, but worth every step.
Being a good parent – so hard, but worth every step
Getting an education – so hard, but worth every step
What are you reaching for that feels so hard, but that you know will be so worth it in the end?
Thank you, stranger on Acadia Mountain, for your perfect inspiration and for helping us remember to keep going and get to the top.
The top, as I’m sure you can imagine, was beyond breathtaking. It made me absolutely sure that there is such a thing as heaven on earth!
Keep going!
“The best view comes after the hardest climb.” – Vanessa Gendoma
“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” – Sir Edmund Hillary
“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.” – Barry Finlay
“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Love and gratitude,