Member-only story
The Mountains Challenge and Reward You Equally
As I stood in the shower, I noticed the water at my feet was brown. It was not the water that was dirty; it was me.
I scrubbed the dirt beneath my fingers. I kept scrubbing and scrubbing, but it refused to budge, and it still lingers beneath my nails.
A reminder that the land is now part of me, and I am part of it. Since I returned to my home in the mountains, something feels different. There is a calmness here that I forgot existed, a peace I long for.
Then I think about the pain in my back, legs, and arms that lingers after a long day working on the mountain. The mountains are not forgiving; they do not soften your fall, they do not hold you up and protect you. They are there to remind you what you chose. Living in the mountains is not an easy life; it is demanding.
Today, as I cut the grass to carve out a terrace garden, I occasionally slipped, using a tree to catch my fall. Luckily, my legs have become accustomed to these hills. I fall less than before, but I still fall.
