“One day, the mountain that is in front of you will be so far behind you, it will be barely visible in the distance. But the person you become in learning to get over it will stay with you forever. And that is the point of the mountain” - Brianna Weist
I am continuing to be amazed at the fighting spirit and the insight of our little hippies. Evangeline’s story continues to inspire me. Her mountain is the same mountain that many adults face with their hip journeys with one humongous difference. She is only eight years old. She does not have the maturity or insights that most adults have cultivated through their entire adult lives. Even though Evangeline is only eight, she has adopted an attitude that the mountain she is climbing will some day be in her past.
That, I believe, is the desire for all hippies. To be able to get through this challenge by climbing and, then, be able to see it in the rear view mirror as you move on through your life. This is just a blip on your radar, but there is an enormous possibility that this can change your outlook permanently and, hopefully, in a good way. The outlook that I strive for is one of positivity. Yes, I may have a few moments where my focus is “woe is me", but I want you to hear this loud and clear. Those are moments. I will not get caught up by having that mindset permanently. I will always reclaim my chin up attitude even when I momentarily lose it.
Today, I opted to go hiking with my sister and her two teenagers the youngest being 14. I had no idea where we were going or anything about the trail. We began walking and I began asking questions. For example, “Can you tell me more about this trail and the mountain we are walking up?” As most teenagers can do, my youngest niece promptly put me in my place by telling me that it was a "hill" and the name of the trail was Gold Mine. It sure looked like a mountain to me – my tracker said I walked 73 flights of stairs today. My hips said it was a mountain and you all know hips don’t lie. Ouch!
But I did hit a gold mine. I had some amazing views, time spent with my nieces and was able to think about Evangeline’s progress and that of my own. Today’s hike did not really demonstrate to me any physical lessons. There was not a "wow" moment that caused me to think I have the hips of a 20 year old! My hips were exhausted. But what I did have reinforced to me was my emotional and mental grit.
Although the travels on this “mountain” today were challenging, I did it! The lesson learned is that when I set my mind to something, I can put one foot in front of another, breathe one breath at a time and succeed! This "one step at a time" attitude can help you grab your hip hope so you can have the tools to climb your mountain!