Hiking the Mountain

"If we compare our ability as adults to that of the child, it would require us sixty years of hard work to achieve what a child has achieved in (their) first three years." -Dr. Maria Montessori

In addition to being a mother and a Montessori teacher, I am an avid hiker. Being outdoors, surrounded by nature, truly feeds my soul. And if I can hike near an actual mountain, even better. Lately, I have been thinking about mountains and hiking and what I love about them so much. Hiking is peaceful, active, and a physical reminder to put your phone down and to be present. To smell the trees and dirt, to hear the sound of the birds chirping or the wind rustling through the leaves, and to feel the spray of water from a river or fall spread across your skin. Hiking alone or with my family of five- there is nothing more centering. At the same time, hiking can be hard, strenuous, and tiring. There are points at which you want to give up or turn around, and yet, you push yourself. You keep going. And the thrill of completing the hike, that sense of satisfaction and pride, makes it all worth it.

For me, there is a juxtaposition between hiking a big mountain and where we are right now. We have been home for 8 weeks- homeschooling, working, raising our families, keeping up with friends and extended family, all while trying to follow the social distancing recommendations. In essence, we have been on a long, strenuous hike. And if you are anything like me, there have certainly been moments when you have felt like the climb was difficult and exhausting. The learning curve has been steep. But, just like that, we are more than half way. We got to the top of our mountain, are finding our rhythm and making it work. We are better than making it work. The children are growing and developing, and we are ALL learning and evolving as human beings. We have started to descend now and I hope it is all downhill from here.