2018

Yesterday, I stood underneath a waterfall.  Water sprayed down on me.  The wind felt like it could lift me and take me far away.

I’ve only been to one waterfall in my life, many years ago when Emma was three and tried to eat the rocks.  It was a trickle of water, just enough to enjoy in the hot summer heat but it was nothing like this one.

I stood on top of this waterfall and looked down at the length and I thought about how something so peaceful can become so powerful within just a few feet.  Just a few steps and the sweet little stream became a powerful mass of water going over the edge of the mountain side.

Looking down on this waterfall, I knew I wanted to go down and look upwards.  I wanted to see both sides of this beautiful Earth element.  I wanted to see the beauty in every direction.

So down we drove to the bottom.  The wading and reflection pool that the beautiful flowing fall trickled into was peaceful and calm.  Looking up was as beautiful as looking down.

My husband and I walked up the trail and listened to the sounds of the water as it flowed.  He looked for trout as we continued our walk, amazed that a fish could even survive the strength of that water’s flow.  That man will find fish anywhere he goes.

We made it to the first stop and just soaked in the beauty of the flowing water.  The breeze was cool and the sound of the water drowned out the world around us.  I wanted to touch the water, to feel the cold rocks beneath my feet.  I thought about how my children’s ancestors would even cross such a place, walking over the rocks to get to the other side of the falls.

Because of my severe anemia, I was out of breath at this point.  I sat and enjoyed the view.  I regained my strength and my breath.  I looked up at the bottom of the strongest part of the falls and wished I could make it up to there.  I wasn’t sure I could but as I sat there, I knew if I left and didn’t try, that I would regret it forever.

So we walked up 175 steps to the next platform, stopping as I needed to rest and take in the view.  My husband supporting me every step of the way.  He’s my strength and my biggest supporter.

I was determined to face my fear of heights, to accomplish this task.  As I walked up and realized their was a grate beneath these falls, I wasn’t sure I could finish the climb and stand there.  But I did.

I faced fears, I accomplished, I forced strength into myself that I had forgotten that I have.  I did it.  I climbed this waterfall and stood beneath it’s beauty and soaked it all in.

The wind was incredible.  The water spray was pelting yet invigorating.  The experience was unforgettable.

I cannot put into words what this felt like.  I encourage you to experience it for yourself at some point in life.  I promise you it’s something you’ll never forget!

I came home feeling completely refreshed and ready to face the world.  I came home ready to share with the world.  Sometimes, you just need to take a few steps off the beaten path to remind yourself that there is more to life than the mundane every day.  You just need to see the beauty of God’s world for yourself and remind yourself that we are here to live every day to the fullest!

Until next time…
Dana