“I have come before you to hear the old wisdom you teach, what lessons can I glean from you today?” I ask the mountains before me.
“What have you come to learn my child?” The mountains whisper back.
“Teach me to be steadfast and true, as immortal and strong as you”
“But my child” the mountains whisper, “You already are those things which you seek. To be kind and warm in the face of adversity is what takes the most courage.”
With that the voice is gone and I am left to ponder the meaning of this lesson. Sitting, overlooking the vast valleys and peaks before me I wonder how many lessons I have learned from the indomitable wildernesses I have explored. The countless experiences I have have had in these wild and rugged places have taught me more about me than 14 years of school ever had. The wilderness within me has been breathed new life because of these experiences, the good and the bad, though the adversity and pain. These lessons I have learned and continue to learn fill my soul and keep me going until the next time I step though those invisible doors, into the wilds.
