If the Mountain Seems Too Big Today
This week someone shared a poem with the grief group I facilitate and realized I needed to encourage me in my own grief journey.
Having lost both my dad’s in the last few weeks, I’m very conscious of the impact their loss is having on me. I’m struggling to get things done, I’m not enjoying crowds like I usually do, I’m impatient with insensitive people, and I’ve lost some of usual drive and motivation.
If you are grieving right now like I am, the message we need to hear is found in this poem, The Mountain. One line I resonate with is, “The mountain will still be there when you want to try again.”
I’ve been giving myself permission to stop forcing myself to do certain things because I can tell I don’t just need stubborn determination but a little self-compassion.
Maybe today you need to give yourself permission to grieve. Maybe you need to give permission to grief to someone else who needs you as that empathetic witness.
Let the poem speak to you. Share it with a friend. Push the pause button on pushing yourself. Rest a while. Catch your breath. Rearrange your schedule. Take time to grieve. Your future self will thank you.
The Mountain
a poem by Laura Ding-Edwards
If the mountain seems too big today
then climb a hill instead;
If morning brings you sadness
it’s okay to stay in bed.
If the day ahead feels heavy and your plans feel like a curse,
There’s no shame in rearranging,
don’t make yourself feel worse.
If a shower stings like needles
and a bath feels like you’ll drown;
If you haven’t washed your hair for days,
don’t throw away your crown!
A day is not a lifetime.
A rest is not defeat.
Don’t think of it as failure,
Just a quiet, kind retreat.
It’s okay to take a moment
From an anxious, fractured mind.
The world will not stop turning
While you get realigned!
The mountain will still be there
When you want to try again
You can climb it in your own time,
Just love yourself till then!
Reflection Questions
Which phrase resonates with you the most?
If you’re companioning someone who is grieving, how might this poem guide you?
