On the Side of the Mountain

In the spring when we ascended the mountain,

It was too early for shorts and sandals for the climb

but they had been perfect on the valley floor.

The snow scrunched between our bare toes

and the mud rose to our ankles.

I looked at his tiny frame beside me,

standing proudly as he gazed out over the mountain.

In the world all of six years and yet braver than most

seven and eight times his age.

Adults need a dose of a child’s fearless optimism.

If we were all fearless optimists,

We could be eternally kind in the face

of an uncertain future.

We could remain fearless when we met

each other on the street or on the trail.

When I feel fearful or unkind,

I think back to the snow scrunching in my toes,

the cool wind brushing my cheek as we looked out

over the valley from the side of the mountain and

I think of my son’s face as he looked out on his world.