Of The Ascent or Descent...

So many people make a big deal about "the climb."

the trek up a mountain, the figurative conquering of a feat/trial/hardship.

But is the ascent of the mountain really the hard part?

or could the descent be just as, if not more, difficult?

yes, the climb up to the top of the mountain is draining.

heck- it's feels downright impossible sometimes.

But, when you get to the top, when you overcome that trial--- there's no feeling like it in the world.

You feel lighter, wiser, like you've never felt before.

You see things you've never seen before, overlooking your past and your future in one fell swoop.

You never want to come down from that place.

But you must.

Everyone does.

And the descent from that high place, that place of freedom and invincibility, is painful.

You know where you're headed.

You were there before.

Who wants to return there?

But we all do.

Usually faster than when we trekked up the mountain.

It's hard to resist going back to what's comfortable, the ease of life.

We head down, our backs to the place we worked so hard to rise to.

We give up the view, the lessons we learned, forgetting so easily.

Our legs seem to stumble over themselves to get to the bottom.

In that descent, we seem to lose more than what we had gained.

We do come back with wisdom, knowledge, a feeling of accomplishment that we "made it."

Yet we left that place.

We must come down from that place but partly we choose it.

Because who can stay up in the clouds for forever?

After time it becomes overwhelming- we can't handle it.

And we must come down.

And knowing what we've left behind on that mountain top but yet still rushing back to earth, to the level ground--- that's the hardest part.