The last and most difficult challenge of the day
The wall - wooden planks with handholds
And 4x4s bolted on them
A towering fifty feet in the air
Standing on the ground
It looked so high, so ominous
Like so many obstacles in life
That seem overwhelming and unconquerable
At first sight, my reaction was
"There ain't no way I can do that"
I was full of self-doubt and fear
It was the matter of fact way
That you handled the situation
We all put on a harness and if we wanted
We could all try to climb the wall
This helped to calm my fears
And it was also your smile, your jokes
Your ease, your confidence
That gave me the courage to try
At that point, I let go of any doubts
I wanted to prove to myself
That I could do what I didn't think I could
I told myself, "Don't think, just do it"
I wanted that wall, I was excited
I wanted to go to the top
"This wall can mean anything you want it to mean"
For me it was a personal challenge
To just let go, leave it all behind
So I did, I began to climb
I didn't look too far above or below me
I focused on the task at hand
To reach the handhold and then the next
I could hear Marie calling out my name
Saying, "Good move," which spurred me on
Then I looked up and I could see the top of the wall
Just a few more moves and I'd be there
Before I even realized it, I was standing at the top
Of that fifty-foot wall
The feeling was unbelievable
I was so proud of myself
I did it; I was standing up for me
I conquered the wall of my self-doubt and fear
Then came rappelling down, which was a total blast
At the bottom I wanted to go back up again
But I was a bit shaky from the rush of it all
Yes I know, I could not have done it without their help
Without that lifeline making me feel secure
Countering my every move
They supported me in my efforts
But it was still up to me to do it
It was my own self-determination that took me to the top
Giving my self-confidence a needed lift
It seems for the past few months now
I have had to become more self-reliant
Depending on myself more
Than I ever had to before
I stretched and I reached far beyond
What I thought I was capable of
The bruises that appeared that night and the next day
I proudly displayed as my badge of courage
I can do anything, if only I try