Sometimes The Climb Is More Important Than The Summit.

The girl in this photo looks like she can do anything. She looks strong, content and fierce. Heck, she’s on top of a mountain for crying out loud…

And yet… I wasn’t.

That’s not the top of that mountain. A friend and I had left too late that day for our hike more than an hour away, and we simply didn’t have time to make it all the way to the top. We picked a spot close to the summit to eat our lunch and decided to head back before all of the light was gone from the autumn sky that day.

We always intended to go back to summit it, but we never did. Life and time slips away and the chaos that it all brings pushes your hopes and plans aside for more important things.

But, I look at this picture and I can see the joy on my face. I can remember that day and how great it was to spend time with a very special friend. I was deep in a depression from infertility and career worries when this picture was taken, so a day out in nature was just what I had needed.

And to me, that’s enough. Summiting wasn’t that important to me that day. And as a Type A overachiever that’s saying a lot! But, it really wasn’t. I think that sometimes in life we just have to look at things for what they are. Good or bad. In the moment they might not have been what we wanted them to be, but years later, they usually turn out to be exactly what we needed.

That was a good day. The fall foliage was gorgeous, the company was just right, and now I have this picture to remind me of that day and it’s one of my favorites of myself because even though I secretly know I’m not at the top of that mountain, I sure did feel like it that day in my heart, which is good enough for me.

This story originally appeared on These Boys of Mine