In anticipation of our move to Grenada, where my wife, Angie, will begin medical school, she’s been climbing our local ski hill at Rib Mountain State Park on a daily basis. She says it makes her feel grounded. I like her so sometimes I get grounded by climbing the mountain too. It’s a workout!
Summer days in Wisconsin are hot and humid, so we’ve also been frequenting my parents’ pool. After a day of work or packing up our house (or climbing a mountain), Angie will suggest we go for a float. But rather than ease her way into the water, she’s lately taken to doing cannonballs.
It’s revealing that on the precipice of a huge change for our family, the two activities that are putting my wife most at peace are climbing mountains and doing cannonballs. It’s gotten me thinking a lot about movement.
Life is composed of dualities. We think of these dualities as opposed to one another but often they work together to help us find balance. Angie’s been finding her peace through rising (climbing a mountain) and falling (doing cannonballs). Rising and falling.
Rising is a movement that represents determined effort. You have to take it step by step, focusing on the tasks in front of you. As we prepare to move our household, it seems like we’re climbing a mountain. The same can be said for becoming a doctor. The end goal may seem daunting but all you can do is focus on the immediate task ahead; the next step or the work of the day. Eventually you get to the peak.
Falling is a movement that represents letting go. You have to jump in. You have to leave the firm ground of your comfort behind, facing the unknown and immersing yourself in new surroundings.
I like how Amanda Shires describes falling in her song, “The Drop and Lift”:
A swarm of sparrows rising over a cane field
Hearts ascend like that
Falling is the closest to flying
I believe we’ll ever get, we’ll ever get
Contrast this to how Stevie Nicks describes climbing a mountain in the Fleetwood Mac song, “Landslide”:
I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
‘Til the landslide brought me down
In speaking of love and relationships, these songs highlight the fact that dualities are not always as they seem. They speak of the mysterious nature of rising and falling. Of looking at life from below, moving upwards; and of looking at life from above, moving downwards. Of climbing mountains and doing cannonballs.
I think the lesson is this:
Whatever the mountain you face, keep climbing it, because eventually you’ll reach the summit. But also remember to take a leap every once in a while, knowing that a fall will come shortly after, because in falling we allow ourselves to fly (or, in Angie’s case, swim).
