One step at a time

We were on a challenging hike recently, and a few of us got to talking about what a lovely analogy hiking is for life. When you’re working your way up a steep climb, you have to take it one step at a time. There’s little point looking back at how far you’ve come or ahead at how far is left — both just pull you out of the only step that matters, the next one. Along the way, you cross paths with all sorts of people, each on their own version of the journey. And the encouraging thing is that almost no one’s in competition. They’re on their path, you’re on yours, and there’s a quiet warmth in the nods you exchange. The steep hikes usually save a viewpoint for the top — a lake or a valley opening up beneath you. Those views never come easy, much like most things worth having. And you never reach them in a straight line. You climb switchbacks, you take the winding route, you stumble here and there. One step at a time, up a winding path, with the occasional misstep. Much like life.