. . . are climbed one rung at a time.

Ladders get you higher in life, help you reach something overhead, and gradually move you from one surface to the next. In my life I have experienced many steps, many ladders, many challenges that all need to be looked at one at a time. Thankfully throughout my journey, I have always had the pleasure and good fortune of meeting the right person with the right amount of the right wisdom to guide me along my path. The trick, I have found, is first, ask questions, and second, listen for the answer.

Think about climbing that ladder—you must reach for the highest rung and pull yourself up, then reposition your hands and feet and go through the process again and again until you reach your goal. If you don’t bother doing the work, you will remain on the ground.

I want to fly, I want to be above my limits, if even just one step—enough to know that I still have to reach to go up and that there is a step to go back down to ground level. That is learning, that is growth, that is living.

A very dear friend crossed over recently, and I was reminded of how important it is to reach—for happiness, for a smile, for a tear, for all the memories you can handle before bursting with pride. I was, for a moment, held back from climbing. Sadness, it seems, robs us of our desire to accomplish, to grow. But sadness can also be overruled by happiness, memories, laughter, and smiles shared.

I quickly recalled where I had left my ladder, sent my friend a hug in the wind, and climbed up one step to sit and share with you how wonderful life is, how important living can be. So many wonderful people out there think the world of you and need you to be just who you are, perhaps for the sake of universal balance, or, at the very least, for the sake of your smile and your energy.

I share with you this smile I wrote for a friend today while I remembered the laughter I shared with him:

A man can’t fly ’til he spreads his wings

Feel the wind my friend and the joy that it brings;

Memories made and laughter shared,

Lessons learned and weather fared;

A man can’t fly ’til he uses his wings,

To soar to great heights,

And love what life brings. 

🙂

BawB