Invisible Mountains

We climb invisible mountains each day. We are ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things. Life is suffused with moments of quiet splendour. We must open our hearts and eyes to them. We are heroes of our own lives: from the cliffs we feel stranded upon to the waves of heartbreak, and the sunlit shores that we walk each day. There is an entire world inside. And a break in the clouds—a departure from the torrential rain—does not come from the outside, from the expectation of another’s actions or words to approve or forgive us. Respite comes from forgiveness of ourselves; it is not through sheltering until the weather breaks, but from walking into the storm knowing it is just rain. It is through acceptance that peace comes. Kindness calms the sea, it blows away the clouds, and holds the sun high so we may see life in all its shadow and light. Life is a challenge: the morning meeting with a difficult colleague, consoling a crying baby late at night, the car that won’t start, the overdraft, the empty pillow at your side. But you make it through. Pure strength is not always visible. But it does not mean you are weak. We are on invisible mountains, climbing our own paths. We may never meet (we may even be on opposite sides), but I want to tell you: don’t forget to look around. You are strong. Survey our own beautiful kingdom—it is unique, nobody else has one like you. Your life is full of tiny miracles and each breath you take is another. Breathe the wonder of now. Now is all we have. And now is where it all happens. Now is the perfect moment.

Image credit: Nathan Anderson via Unsplash.