Climbing Mountains

WOW! ... It has been over a year since I have done an entry. I hope that doesn't mean that I have been too busy to appreciate the CPM's in my life. I think it is just more a matter of being so busy that I haven't taken time to acknowledge them in this forum because it is certainly the overwhelming CPM's that have helped me through this past year. As most of my family and close friends will know there have been some larger than normal Everest mountains to climb for all of us this past year - health, deaths, personal, relationships, etc. Some mountains seemed impassable but the one thing I have learned is that all it takes is reaching out and asking to hold someone's hand so you have a friend beside you as you make that journey. The first half of the year I was the one asking for help as I found myself in some pretty dark valleys .. so thank you to those loved ones who helped me get to the other side. Somewhere along the way my footing became more stable and I think I became a more seasoned mountaineer as the latter half of 2012 has found the shoe to be on the other foot ... and I have been the one stretching out my hand to friends and family. I am so grateful to have had the support of loved ones there when I needed them ... but I am even more grateful that I have been able to return the love and be the one to give the hugs, the words of encouragement, the emotional and physical support when asked. Helping others has certainly put all of my previous personal woes and concerns not just on a back burner .. but practically extinguished the memory of them. They have become just that .. vague memories. A genuine hug and a listening ear may be the only help I can offer at times... but I know its value is immeasurable.... and this past week I have done my fair share of hugging! My Chocolate Pudding Moment for today .. is having these few minutes to myself, after months of climbing mountains, to acknowledge and appreciate the value of our loved ones and our communities especially when the road ahead seems blocked by an Everest. Climbing mountains is a daunting and exhausting task .. but reaching the top, seeing the view below and the sense of accomplishment makes the journey all worthwhile.