​Face the Mountain-A Soul’s Journey

I began my journey standing in a meadow and shielding my eyes from the sun.  Tossing a sack of what my mind had told me I needed over my back; my eyes glimpsed the path ahead. My ears heard a distant storm and my nose smelled the scent of wet earth that blew in the wind ahead of the storm. My mind said “Move forward!” And my Soul silently took all of this in.

 Soon I found myself on that path, wandering through a dark forest. My eyes looked up to see the ancient branches twisting, struggling and weaving to find the sun. My ears took note that the song birds hidden in the canopy had suddenly gone silent, my body shivered while my mind insisted “Move forward!”  And my Soul took all of this in.

 Later I came to the edge of a rushing river. My eyes saw that it was wide and fast yet I began to wade across. My mind was fearful that I would be swept away in the coldness that was pushing and pulling against my skin. As I went deeper, the belongings I carried on my back grew wet and heavy, but somehow my feet always found the earth beneath the water.  As I reached the other side I fell on my hands and knees under the weight I carried and gasped a prayer of thank You, but quickly my mind commanded “Move forward!” And my Soul took all of this in.

 Further along, the path became rockier and seemed to always lead upward.  When I stopped to rest, my eyes watched rabbits crossing the path ahead of me and my ears listened to the rustling of crisp autumn leaves in the breeze. But my mind knew only about fearsome bears and hidden snakes so my mind warned “Move forward!” And my Soul took all of this in.

 When I reached the end of my path I stood nose to face with an awesome and sheer rock wall. My eyes followed it up to where it seemed to reach heaven and kissed the sun and the moon with snow, but I could go no further. My mind demanded “Is that all ?!” As I rested my forehead gently against the cold rock, I listened, and for the first time my Soul spoke. She said “Step back” and I stepped back. Again my gaze ran up the wall but this time my eyes observed the hawk circling above and for a moment it seemed I could almost touch the sky as well. But I am not a hawk.

 Once more my Soul said “Step back”, but my mind feared I might stumble backward, so I turned my eyes to the path behind me checking for obstacles. My Soul gentled chided “Don’t look back; you can’t change a path you have already taken. Close your eyes, trust and step back”. I closed my eyes, my mind trusted and my body stepped back.

 I stood for a moment with my eyes closed and felt the warmth of the sun sink through my skin and fill my body and for the first time I felt my Soul. I opened my eyes and found myself back in the meadow. Now my eyes witnessed the golden sunlight and butterflies dancing, my nose savored the honeysuckle and my ears treasured the sound of the stream that was gifted by the distant river I had crossed. As I looked down, my body felt the earth under my feet and my Soul said “Look forward.” My mind looked forward with my eyes and I saw the majestic snow capped mountain looming far in the distance. Then my Soul said, in a voice that filled the universe, “Face the Mountain we have just climbed”.

 – Peggy Ciavardone

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