Climb That Mountain!

Sunday Gulch Trail Mountain

(Small watercolor study)

All my life in my family this mountain was referred to as The Cabin Mountain. Summers in my early childhood were happily spent playing at the Smith Cabin near the famous Mt. Rushmore.  The Smith family were dear friends of ours from Kadoka, South Dakota. Often our two families would be at the cabin together.  The beautiful Black Hills of western South Dakota provided the backdrop for awesome times together as family.

Dad

(Watercolor portrait by Marine artist friend Asante)

Dad would take my older brother Gordon and other teens hiking up to the top of this commanding mountain behind the Smith Cabin.  When I finally was old enough, my rite of passage to this mountain came.  I'll never forget being up on top and surveying miles of Black Hills country in every direction.  That was the first mountain I had the opportunity to climb.  Eventually I went on to climb other peaks, including Mt. Whitney in the Sierra Nevada of California and Long's Peak in the Colorado Rockies.  

(My dad doing a handstand with a fellow marine buddy.)

On this New Year's Day my dad will turn 91 years old, so I'm thinking many thoughts about his life and some things he has taught me.  One thing Dad taught me is to be a mountain climber.  I'm not talking about all the technical jargon and mountain expeditions to high peaks.  Instead, he taught me a way of looking at life and the challenges that come our way. He taught me the value of setting goals and working to accomplish them.  He was an encourager and confidence-builder.  Dad exhibited and modeled drive for me.  He knew about persistence!

(Sketch by fellow Marine Corps buddy Asante)

And that leads me to what my blog post title is about...Climb That Mountain!  This year will contain many challenges in our paths that need to be faced with persistence. Perhaps you are also setting some goals for your life that will need persistence to follow through long after the New Year's resolutions are made.  How will you be doing come March or July or October with those goals?  It takes this tremendous life quality to overcome challenges and reach goals.....PERSISTENCE!

Famous Star Wars actor Harrison Ford had this to say about what persistence looks like: 

I realized early on that success was tied to not giving up.  Most people in this business gave up and went on to other things.  If you simply didn't  give up, you would outlast the people who came in on the bus with you.  Sometimes the only reason you get the job is that you're the only one left.  I didn't make a living acting until I was 35.  Tenacity is critical.

Getting there is all about the process and the process takes time.  Winston Churchill said:

Never give in, never give in, never, never, never---in nothing, great or small, large or petty---never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.

My dad modeled persistence for me in numerous ways.  Happy 91st birthday, Dad!

(Dad overlooking Niagara Falls)

Live bravely and beautifully!