This is not the story of the human journey. There is no even up and down. No paved roads.
Yes, there are mountains and valleys in every life - yes, every one. Some are deeper or higher than others. Some take longer to travel. But they are not smooth in either direction.
So what do you call the spaces where you're not stuck in a valley, and not perched on a mountain, but teetering in between, at one moment floundering and the next soaring? Whats the name for the place where you take one step up, and the sand gives way, letting you slide two steps back? How do you describe the moment when you look up from the ground and find a boulder in front of you, and spend the next while making your way sideways to get around it? Or how about the time when you go straight up, no slant, surging to a new height?
No, life isn't a paved road. It's a climb. And I'm learning that one slip does not mean failure. Neither does one peak equal success. There will be both in any journey worth taking. Sometimes they may seem to happen simultaneously. Sometimes the valleys will outweigh the mountains. But sometimes the mountains turn plateaus of joy.
It's not about reaching the top. It's about continuing, no matter what lies ahead, and finding those who will walk with you on this journey.
