Last week
Mr. M and I had our 4th wedding anniversary, and to celebrate we
climbed our first 14er! Talk about an
adventure….
It was
trying, difficult, exhilarating, intense, fun and overall an awesome
accomplishment. And being that this was
for our anniversary, the parallels between climbing a mountain and marriage
were not lost on me.
We started
off on the trail bright and early. We were excited and probably overconfident
in our capabilities while naïve to the obstacles that laid ahead. See the correlations already??
It was early
morning and everything just looked stunning as the sunlight was beginning to break
through the trees and casting shadows on the surrounding mountains.
As we made
it over the tree line the trail went from a slow grade of dirt and grass to more
rocks and boulders. Definitely wasn’t
prepared for that.
Every so
often we’d stop, catch our breath, take in the view and take some more
pictures. I loved to turn around and
look back at where we had just been.
And every
time I was amazed at the progress we had made.
How
different it looked from this view.
And was
proud of how far we had come.
Together.
The further
we got on our climb the harder it became.
There was no more dirt or grass trail to follow, it was all rock.
Big rocks.
Slate rocks.
Moving,
shifting, unstable rocks.
And the
trail got narrower as we were now following right along the spine. To stay on the best line you couldn’t easily
be two people wide. But we kept moving
along, taking turns leading and setting a comfortable pace. Whoever was in front throwing back a warning
of loose rocks or slippery areas ahead.
As we
climbed we started to come across more people.
Some were already heading back—which I secretly envied as my lungs were
burning and legs were aching. Others
were still heading to the summit and we seemed to settle into a small group of
people around the same pace.
It was nice
to see friendly faces along the way; we’d encourage each other or make a joke
about whose horrible idea this was. It
always lightened the mood when we were struggling to keep going.
For some
this was their first 14er. Others had
done many before.
And then
there was a dad with his 3 daughters.
Just cruising along. He had his 4
year old in a hiking back pack with his 6 and 7 year old tagging along. This was their 5th 14er. *jaw drops*
Mr. M and I
were just floored. I mean come on! We were struggling to keep moving and these
kids reminded me of Legolas from Lord of the Rings—light and nimble on their
feet and moving along with what seemed to take no effort at all. Wow.
As we got
into the last leg, the steep ascent to the summit, it became a real
challenge. Gaining elevation that
quickly was really making the effects of the altitude apparent. We had to stop more often to catch our
breath. Mr. M had gone through his water
already and we were sharing mine. He
started to feel sick and I was getting a little dizzy. We stopped to rest and he was not feeling
well. I wasn’t sure he could keep going,
neither did he. But we were SO
CLOSE.
I would be
very disappointed to get this far and not reach the top but this was our
journey, our adventure and if we couldn’t stand at the summit together I didn’t
want to go.
But he took
a short breather, dug deep and pushed himself to keep going.
The last
stretch was narrow and there really was no trail, you just had to find the best
line and hope for some sturdy rocks.
We kept
pressing forward, knowing victory was within reach.
And then,
there we were! Standing on the summit!! It was glorious and euphoric and oh so
breathtaking. We saw some friends at the top and congratulated each other, took
more pictures and a short rest.
We took it
in, a panoramic view of mountains in every direction. Surreal. What a beautiful moment, what a
victory to achieve together…
And then?
The descent! The only way down was the
way we came up! It was faster but still
very tricky.
The whole
way down I would stop to look back again, and was in complete awe and shock
that we just did WHAT?? Knowing now what
it took to get to the top, to see it in retrospect made me realize what an
accomplishment it was. Oh and we ran into 2 mountain goats on our way back, very cool. Although one was about 10 ft from me and I think it wanted to hurt me....
We had no
idea what we were getting into and to a degree I appreciated my naivety at the
time. That trip back down looked very
different…. I felt wiser, more experienced and so I viewed everything now
through different eyes.
I spent the
journey back down reflecting on everything I had just learned and could see in
so many ways how marriage is very much like climbing a mountain. Here’s what I
learned….
*Take a look
back. It is so easy to get caught up in
the trials of where you are, the disagreement, the monotony and become
discouraged.
But every
once in a while you need to stop and just take a look back.
See how far
you’ve actually come. That you’re making
progress.
See that
you’re moving forward even when it doesn’t feel like it.
Relish in
the moment that you are taking and have taken ground even if you feel stuck.
*Things get
hard.
There are
unexpected situations that throw you a curve ball, the ground is not always
flat and it’s not always smooth sailing.
Sometimes it feels like the ground is shifting beneath you.
In these
times you especially need to dig deep.
Fight to
find your footing, fight for your relationship.
Hold on to
what you do know.
You love
each other. That never changes. Yes even when you don’t like each other very
much.
*You don’t
know it all. Period.
Surround
yourself with couples of wisdom, which means experience. I KNOW I don’t have the answers, these are
just my own revelations I’m sharing.
We need a
support group. Others to cheer us on as we run this race.
To hear from
those who have gone before and can show us the best path.
I definitely want to talk to others who have
climbed mountains before I climb another one, why would I not do the same in my
marriage?
*Don’t
compare. Don’t compare. Don’t compare.
It drove me
crazy that those little girls were hiking with such ease! But this was their 5th
climb so how can I compare that to my 1st?
All you can
do is compare where you ARE to where you WERE.
Comparing your beginning to someone else’s middle will only make you
frustrated and give you false hope. Both
are destructive in a marriage.
Celebrate
your victories in your own marriage, not compared to someone else’s.
*You’re in
this together.
It’s
marriage. It’s forever. What benefits
you, benefits your spouse. What hurts you
hurts your spouse.
No one has
more to gain or lose in your marriage than you, and your spouse. Stick together.
Sometimes you lead and allow the other to rest. Sometimes you follow and your spouse takes the headwind. You're in this together and two are always better than one.
*Find an
adventure together!
Mr. M and I
are really in our sweet spot when we are working towards a common goal. I feel like we can accomplish anything when
we are working together.
Whether it’s
paying off debt, climbing a mountain or pitching a tent, we really shine when
we are conquering something as a team.
Find
something that brings you both alive and go at it.
Live your
life together. Dream together.
Set goals
and then knock them down.
Be
silly.
Have
fun together, you never know what mountain goats, I mean, surprises are just around the corner!