With the warm sun on her back, she set out with confidence and strength, and yes, with excitement. Because she loved excitement. And adventure. She loved to laugh and enjoy life.
She stood at the bottom of the mountain, her hands on her hips, and for a brief moment, doubts crept into her mind. This was something she hadn’t done before. She was young and healthy, but could she do it alone? Did she really need to do it alone? She turned and looked back toward where she’d come from. She was loved. Loved by her parents and her sister. Loved by her friends. But did they believe in her? Did they feel she could do this? Despite the niggling fear, a determination grew within her. A stubbornness that had always been a part of her, something inherited from her parents and especially her grandparents. She’d heard the stories. She knew how tough and determined they’d been. She had it inside of her.
One foot in front of the other, each step taking her a little higher on the wide, flat path. Again and again, until it became a movement without thought, like when she learned to walk, a natural process. This too was natural.
A drop landed on her shoulder, followed by another. She raised her gaze to the darkness that gathered overhead, and the rhythm of her movement faltered. She turned and saw how far she’d come. She wouldn’t go back now. Swiveling back to the path in front of her, a frown marred her pretty face. Was it her imagination or had it become narrow and rocky?
Her thoughts traveled back to her childhood, when she’d climbed an enormous tree, determined to get to the top. That day, she’d succeeded. Why couldn’t she do it again?
Her footing grew less sure on the path, and her confidence slipped with each drop of rain and each rock that slid under her sneakers. As the trail grew steeper and narrower, her fingers grasped for a handhold. She latched onto a thin branch and prayed it was strong enough. Knowing she needed to make it back to her family drove her forward.
A strong hand descended and wrapped around hers. A strange, new hand that felt oddly familiar. Blue eyes met her shocked gaze.
“Tiens-moi,” he said. “Je suis ici pour toi. ”
He boosted her up, and her breath caught when she saw the wide, smooth path that lay before her. The sun emerged to dry the moisture left behind by the rain shower. She squinted and spotted a few bumps on the distant trail, but nothing she couldn’t handle on her own. She stared at the man by her side and thought to herself, “Do I really need to do it alone? An adventure is much more exciting if you can share it.”
Just like that day, so long ago, when she reached the top of the tree with pride, she accepted the help of someone who loved her to bring her back to solid ground. Maybe she needed to welcome this offer of love. Together, they could move toward the path that was always meant for her, for them. The path that was there all along, waiting for her.