There is a mountain in front of me. I can feel her presence.
She offers a challenge.
Do I sit at her base, and wonder what secrets she holds?
Observing her mysteries from afar teaches me nothing.
So I climb upward every day, higher and higher. I know not to look down.
It is a very long way down.
I am not alone.
Family, friends, and soulmates travel beside me.
They smile, and I am comforted.
Some I have always known; some I do not know yet.
I near the top, and my surroundings begin to blur.
Nothing else matters now except the peak.
In the blur, I cannot focus.
I stumble, and fall back.
Not far. I can recover.
I look up. The blur is gone.
No, I see more clearly now than I first did.
The mountain has grown higher.
My fears strengthen.
My resolve slides into darkness.
I cannot do this alone.
I reach up for support from those who journey with me.
They are ahead of me.
They did not stop.
I am alone now, and I am weak.
I feel rejected, hated, and judged.
I feel lost, forgotten, and unworthy.
Are these my emotions?
I feel myself begin to mirror the accusations.
I judge myself, I hate myself, I reject myself.
I look up. The moon hangs beyond the peak.
She is wise. I can see her light.
She offers guidance and patience.
Do I attempt to climb higher, with her aid?
I do not want to be forgotten again.
She sings to me the song of the stars.
Perhaps I am not as alone as it seems.
She smiles, and I am comforted.
Benedetto sia la luna.
)O(
