As the car manoeuvred the sharp bends in the road I observed the scenery outside the window changing gradually. The uphill road wasn’t going up all the time; it was full of ups and downs. Yet, strangely, we were going higher and higher. The plains were left far behind and the mountains were rising around us, steadily. That’s not all, the mountains were getting bigger and taller, their peaks aspiring to touch the clouds. The sight of the mighty Himalayas left me spell bound, as always. Towering over the valleys, their presence exuded a strength far beyond that which can be expressed in words or seen. It can only be felt. I stared at them in awe, my mind stilled by their very sight.
Come hail or snow or sleet or rain, they stand there unperturbed. No lightning, nor thunder; no storm or gale, can make them move from where they stand. A few stones might rumble down, a little soil might wash away but they continue to stand there, as strong as ever. What a presence!
Can I, like the mountains, stand tall in the midst of storms?
Can I, like the mountains, hold my head high and look beyond the minor upheavals in my life?
Can I, like the mountains, remain steady and come out strong through tremors and rumblings beneath the ground I stand on?
I wondered…till I tried.
Only when I tried did I learn about my strength, my fortitude and my resilience. I realised that, like the mountains, I too have it in me to withstand everything that comes my way, be it the fiercest tempest or the wildest gale. I learned that we all have that power within us, all we need to do is tap it. And once its tapped, like the mountains, we too become a presence to reckon with.
