The Mountains in Our Lives

There’s a moment that hits you halfway up a mountain. It’s not just about the view ahead or the path behind. It’s that gut-punch realisation of how much further you have to go—and whether or not you have it in you to keep going.

I was 14 when I climbed Mt. Warning.

Sciatica was my uninvited companion, that sharp, unforgiving pain that’s been with me for far too long. Every step felt like a battle. Halfway up, staring at the steep trail twisting above me, I had to decide: Do I turn around, or do I push through and finish what I started?

It wasn’t just a physical mountain I was climbing; it was every hardship I’d face later in life—every obstacle that would make me question whether I was strong enough to overcome. But I wasn’t climbing alone. My mother was with me, step by painful step, 3 hours up, 3 hours down. She never left my side. I think she knew, better than I did, how important it was that I finish that climb.

There were moments I wanted to stop, where the pain felt heavier than the mountain itself. But isn’t that what life feels like sometimes? Facing the steepest parts and wondering if we have the strength to keep going?

When I reached the top, I was above the clouds—literally. It felt like the world had opened up, and I was standing on the edge of something incredible. Every ounce of pain, every step I thought I couldn’t take, was worth that sunrise on the summit all those years ago. But as the moment sunk in, I had one realisation—I still had to make the journey back down.

The summit wasn’t the end of the journey. In fact, it was only half of it. I had to walk back down, with every step reminding me that the climb didn’t end when I reached the top. In life, we often reach our goals and think the hard part is over, but the descent is just as important, teaching us the value of perseverance and reminding us of the strength we carry every step of the way.

We all have mountains in our lives. They don’t always look like towering peaks or physical challenges. Sometimes, they’re the silent struggles we face alone, the heartaches we carry, the pain we endure. But every mountain has a summit, and every step—no matter how painful—brings us closer to it.

I made it to the top that day. And I walked all the way back down, with my mother beside me. It was a reminder that we’re stronger than we think, especially when we don’t have to climb alone.

There’s a part of me that will always be halfway up that mountain. A part that will always feel the sharp pain of wanting to turn back, to question whether I can finish what I’ve started. But I know now that, even when it feels impossible, I have the strength to keep going and 

so 

do 

you.

Payton x