Confronting stress in a different way, I chose to go down to a beach area where there were stairs that led to the beach. I could haven chosen to simply stay at the top, overlooking its beauty and feel its peace form afar, or I could walk through the mist and down the stairs to see what was waiting for me--knowing the difficulty of the walk back up. I reflect on the journey I ended up taking:
I cannot see what’s right in front of me
But I know what lies ahead in the mist
A path part known, part unknown
If I travel down,
I must travel up
Despite the fear
Despite knowing the challenge
Still…
I’m called to travel down further
“Trust me”
A voice says
And I do
And so I bravely descend
Knowing the uphill battle to come
But wondering if I’m being led to an easier return
I stop.
The water is so beautiful here at the bottom
Peaceful, serene, welcoming
All anxiety released to the waves
The trip through the mist was worth it for this view
Another path appears
Unknown and unfollowed before
A boardwalk among the rocks
Sanctuary
Adventure
Unexplored
What I would have missed if I ignored the voice
Then I see it:
The ascension
The dreaded cement stairs
The shortness of breath
The fear of looking ridiculously out of shape
What trickery is this?
There was no easier way up
Just a distracting detour
And so the journey back to the trop begins
My mind toiling in frustration at the outcome
But a surprise awaits in the middle of the struggle
A ramp
A slight incline to release the ache of relentless stairs
A looking out point I didn’t see coming in my hurried expectations
I catch my breath in more ways than one
I find my fight
I keep going, weaving up through stairs and inclines
It was a smoother journey upward after all
Trust
Trust in redirection
Trust in the unexpected
Trust in myself
“Trust me”—that voice
Trust that I will always get back up after going all the way down