Mountains
Most people don't realize how tough it is to climb a mountain until they face one themselves.
They ignore their doubts and think the climb will be quick and easy.
As if people don't risk their lives trying to reach the top.
Most people climb a mountain once or twice, some conquer it overnight.
And when they reach the top, they rarely come back down.
Some climb mountains every day in different ways.
Mountains that make Everest seem small, so high above the clouds you might faint if you look down.
The higher you go, the harsher the winds, and you feel like you might drown in the air.
Finding your way back down is much harder than climbing up.
You think you can reach it, your ego so inflated that the mountain seems small.
You take a step and realize your dreams are farther than you thought.
The thought freezes you, so you can't take another step.
And that second step is crucial. It's the one that shows you can climb, but it takes time to move.
To make a decision.
For your mind to decide that today will be the day you climb, and nothing will stop you.
So you grab your gear and your heart, look up at the mountain, and take your first and second steps!
You move forward, watching the sun rise, and one day you'll find yourself near the top!
The view is amazing!
You see the clouds below, all your fears and troubles.
But then you slip, and suddenly you're back at the base, heartbroken again.
You feel hopeless, thinking the mountain is too tall and you'll always fall, so you stop trying.
But you know there's a joy at the top you can't find anywhere else.
A joy you desperately want to feel.
So,
You stand up, grab your gear and broken heart, and try again.
You fall and climb, fall and climb, almost losing your mind.
You watch others climb easily and quickly, without fear, and it discourages you.
But you keep trying!
And one day, you see the horizon, clouds below, fears far beneath.
This time you won't fall, and as you reach the final stretch, you hold your breath and reach the peak, all fears and sorrows vanish as you celebrate your victory!
You did it!
But your heart sinks as you see another mountain,
A taller one,
That makes the last one seem small.
You think your heart is too fragile for this one,
That you barely survived the first and won't survive the second.
You know there might be an even taller mountain after this.
You don't know when the mountains will end, how many you must climb to be on top of the world.
But
You know the joy of reaching the peaks will be greater than what you feel now!
So you find the base of this mighty rock,
Your ego so inflated that its size seems small.
You take a step and realize this climb will be harder than the first.
So,
You fall and climb, fall and climb, almost losing your mind.
You carry your broken heart the whole way.
Most people don't realize how tough it is to climb a mountain until they face one themselves.
What seems easy to you might be nearly impossible for someone else.
Like reading this poem in front of a class is a mountain,
A mountain I've finally conquered.