The wilderness is rife with metaphors, and I find Mother Nature has a unique way of providing us all with symbolic life lessons, especially children.
I can tell Goose over and over to go where the wind blows or to stop and smell the flowers, but if I take her into nature and let her experience these lessons first hand from a perspective she can understand, she has the ability to grasp complex concepts and understand their application in her life.
Nature is the ultimate teacher and the great equalizer at the same time. Stand on the summit of a mountain or in the bottom of a canyon and it’s difficult to deny that we are all part of something much bigger than ourselves. Those of us who can find the humility in vulnerability will learn the most from exposing ourselves to the natural environment.
In the wilderness, Goose has learned her limits and how to safely push them. She has learned that one tiny 4-year-old can leave an impact and, as a result, how to leave no trace. She has learned how to accept a personal challenge and how to test my patience at the same time.
She is learning as much from me as from Mother Nature, and, hopefully, growing up a wild child as a result with as deep a passion for the outdoors as an understanding for the lessons she learns on our adventures.
After contemplating a decision last week, I set out on a mission to teach Goose the lesson that sometimes when you find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place the best thing to do is to take on the rock. With that plan in mind and having never been rock climbing before, we called upon our friend Don in Ouray, another of the kindred outdoor spirits Goose has collected on our adventures in the wilderness. Whether on four wheels up a shelf road or on two ropes up a rock face, Don’s just the mountain man to help navigate an ascent into new territory.
Arriving at the trailhead for X-Rock, sporting a tiny pair of climbing shoes, helmet and harness, Goose was ready! After a lesson in knots, gear and terminology, we set out to climb Elementary Face.
“On belay,” she announced with the confidence of a seasoned climber. “Belay on.” And she was off. I watched her climb with thoughtful determination and talked her down when fear set in. If there is one thing that Goose is not it is a quitter, and I like to think that I have set a fine example for her in following through.
As I took my turn, with the thought in mind to tackle the metaphorical rock, I opened myself up to an entirely different lesson. I climbed as far as I could physically go. The top was so close, and I could not find a hand-hold to carry me over. I looked back over my shoulder and hollered, “Take,” and planned to belay down.
While my body was ready to descend, my mind suggested, “lean back and let go and you will die.” So, there I was, literally stuck between a rock and hard place, the very metaphor I came to tackle.
Goose hollered from below, “You can do it Mommy,” and, in that moment, I had to follow through. I let go of the rock and gave into trust. I realized that rather than tackling the rock alone, it’s better to give and take. Better to try and have faith. Better to climb high and take a chance than to stay on the ground and miss the view from the top.
What I ultimately learned was that sometimes we need to let someone else take our weight, be it on the face of the rock or in the face of adversity with two feet on the ground. Be it fatigue, fear or frustration, allowing someone to take your weight prevents you from falling. It’s a mind game that you play with yourself; to trust that someone will take your weight means taking the very risk that you wont fall from your challenge.
I have spent too many years fearful of letting someone else take my weight. It took me realizing that in the hard place on the other side of the rock for me lies trust. Letting someone take my weight is the best advice I’ve been given in a long time.
After all, you can’t find your feet back on solid ground unless you ultimately let go of the rock.
Jenny can be reached at jennyandgooseoutdoors@outlook.com
