My family was astounded when the train took us near the mountains, as we could see nature from all of the windows surrounding us. The mountains were above us, to our left and to our right. The closer the train got to the stunning view of the whole mountain landscape, the more excited we became. I felt peace entering into my heart, mind and soul. “Wow,” I almost whispered.
If a mountain can stand this tall, then maybe we all can. If we can get to the top of this mountain, then maybe we can do anything in life. Perhaps anything is possible, just as everything seems possible right now.
“We aren’t going to look back,” I thought to myself. “This is our journey and our story.” I gazed out at the river where people were rafting, soaking up every bit of the scenery I could at once. I tried taking a picture of the river and the mountains and captured it with my own eyes. “This is it,” I thought.
When I looked at the mountains, all my doubts, worries and fears slowly faded away. My worn-out wings started expanding from the back of my shoulders and stretching out. The magic was there, slowly unfolding. As we stepped out of the bus, magical sparkles shimmered on my wings. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I was ready to fly!
Life itself is a mountain
“Life is a mountain, not a beach.” I remembered these words that were written on my grandmother’s tiny fortune cookie paper. It’s true—there are so many opportunities, obstacles and goals to reach, and we have to get there, to the top. However, I reminded myself that I had to enjoy the moment, just as much as I needed to seize it.
“Smile!” my mother said before she clicked a button on her phone to take a picture. I smiled big, perhaps too much.
“Mom, can I fly now?” I asked her.
“Of course. Fly around near the mountains as much as you like, but be sure to come back safely,” she told me.
“OK, I will!” I said.
Tomorrow starts now
I explored the whole horizon. “Glide to the left, and then to the right,” I told myself.
After some time passed, I landed on the mountain at last. felt a rush of adrenaline through my veins. I could see the clouds so close to my head, and I could feel the breeze of the wind shaking my wings. I looked below me and realized I was at the very top of the mountain!
“There is no tomorrow,” I muttered. “Tomorrow starts now.”
“Victory!” I yelled to the top of my lungs. I felt a joyous spirit inside of me, squeezing out of my chest and hurtling towards the freedom gates of my mouth. At that moment, I let myself be one with nature.
I know I’ll never forget this day. It was the day that inspired me to spread my wings and fly. How could something so massive and beautiful remind me to spread my wings? Something that’s bigger than life, bigger than our worries, doubts and fears? The mountain range has infinite beauty, but its vastness makes it a bit scary at the same time.
Don’t doubt yourself
“Don’t doubt yourself,” the mountains whispered into the air. “Even if the glaciers are falling, I’m still here standing tall and proud.”
“How can you withstand the glaciers melting? Doesn’t it hurt you that everything in this world is slowly falling apart?” I asked the mountains.
“Even if everything around me is falling, I choose not to,” they responded. “Or how will I protect the land?”
I looked below me and decided that it was time for me to fly and land again. Remembering the voice of the mountains, I said to them, “Thank you for being so brave.”
“Now fly,” was the response.
My heart was racing. It felt like it would burst out of my chest. I had to fly and land where my family was. I needed to go back to them, or how would we go back to the hotel? I hoped I could get to the right place.
“OK, I can do this,” I told myself.
I could see my parents and big brother waving to me from the other side of the mountains, so I waved back and then took a deep breath. We’re never really ready, but these mountains had taught me so many lessons in just one day. It was time to overcome, embrace and shine.
I jumped off the edge of one of the mountains and soared across the sky. I kept on flying until I finally found a safe place to land. My wings were getting heavy from the pressure of the wind, and my face was getting cooler from the breeze, but I smiled because I was almost there.
A family reunited
My feet eventually landed on the ground, and right there in front of me was my family.
“I spoke to the mountains! They brought me up there, all the way to the top. Their voice encouraged me to fly and to land back here. I never knew I could do it, until I went up there and tried,” I said.
As I looked back up at the mountains with my smiling family, I realized that the day would serve as a reminder that nearly anything is possible in life, as long as you’re inspired to try.
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image 1: mariocus; image 2: brigachtal
