“Stuck between a rock and a hard place . . . You’d better stop. Put on a kind face.”–Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Overcoming Rocky circumstances 🌺
I was walking quickly back to my vehicle with a couple of coffees in hand. Wait. What did I just see? Walking back a few feet, I looked at the spot in between the concrete wall and the sidewalk that abutted to it. Oh my heavens! It was a flower!
How it was possible for a flower to grow in such a tight crevice was mind-boggling. The blossoming plant was the very definition of being “stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
How many life situations feel like that–thrusting us between rocky and hard circumstances?
Most of us can identify times in which we were (or are) in situations in which there was no good solution or easy way out. Like a praying mantis trapped in the web of a spider, our hands may be lifted in prayer, but the various strands of a difficult situation continue to remain sticky and taut. We can see life going on all around us, and yet, we remain stuck between an “unknown outcome” and “continued pain.”
Confronting Difficulties 🪜
My daughter and I visited the Bodie (pronounced “body”) Lighthouse located on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on a warm July afternoon. Once inside the lighthouse at the scheduled time, we were facing over 200 spiraling steps, equal to climbing 10 stories. It contained no air conditioning; however, there were nine landings on which we could rest and catch our breath.
While climbing those steps, visitors must coordinate with other climbers as only one person at a time is allowed on a section of steps. Therefore, when arriving at a landing, I had to yell “clear” to my daughter below, so she knew she could begin climbing the next section of steps. Then, I had to listen and look above to the next section of steps to ensure there was no one coming down the steps from the top before I embarked to the next level.
One step at a time 🚶🏽♀️
On and on we climbed. Our thighs were burning, and none of the windows on the lighthouse’s walls were open. Although there were small fans on each landing, they did little to prevent the sweat that accumulated on our brows and backs. Each time I reached a landing, I would marvel at the number of steps still above me, but I also felt a sense of amazement as I looked back down at the number of steps I had already climbed before shouting, “Clear!”
When we finally reached the top landing and were able to step outside onto the platform, the air felt exquisitely cool. The breeze lifted and lightened our spirits, but it was the expansive view that took our breath away.
A greater perspective 🌅
Spread out before us was 360 degrees of the sweeping sights of Bodie Island, Pamlico Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean. Astonished by the surrounding marshlands, pine trees, distant bridges, the various bodies of water, and a map-like view of the vicinity, we appraised how different the Hatteras Seashore looked from a bird’s eye view. In fact, we realized that we only saw a fragment of what was all around us whenever we drove along NC Route 12 to and from the lighthouse.
We would have loved to have stayed longer, but our time was limited by default of the National Park visitor schedule. Of course, the only way to exit was to climb down those 200+ steps, one level at a time.
The Only way Through is Through ⬇️
Just as the way up took time, especially coordinating with others, so did the climb down. However, this time, it felt different. We now possessed the confidence of knowing that we had conquered the climb and made it to the top. We stepped down the steps with a certain satisfaction one feels from having successfully “blossomed,” as that flower did between the cracks, with the completion of a difficult task.
Many of life’s struggles and challenges are like that lighthouse climb.
Sometimes we face situations in life that are so difficult, we feel stuck. If we don’t tie up our laces and start climbing, we’ll remain stuck, unable to move the boulder of a problem. However, if we start climbing, it’s going to hurt, and we will sweat from the effort–at least proverbially speaking.
Start climbing anyway
Similarly to those nine landings, we may climb over one rock, only to realize there are more to maneuver around. There are more sides, more stony surfaces relating to the struggle than we initially think. Thus, there is more climbing to do, more problems to solve.
Appreciate how far you have come
No matter how much more there is to go when dealing with life’s challenges/changes, it is worthwhile to notice how far you have come.
Taking a moment to pause and celebrate the challenges that you were able to “clear” is important. It not only serves as an opportunity for gratitude for what has been overcome, but also provides time to symbolically catch your breath before attempting to conquer the next step of the challenge. Certainly, the “unknown” will remain in wait; however, by pausing and not rushing towards a quick solution, we are better able to gather enough strength for tackling the next part of the challenge.
Seek Support
When working through a life challenge, it is often beneficial to enlist the help of a friend or loved one.
Climbing up the Bodie Lighthouse steps, not only did I have my daughter with me, but there was a group who had reached the top before us. As they descended, they offered words of hope.
“The view is gorgeous from the top!”
“You’re almost there!”
“It is so worth the sweat!”
Seeds of encouragement, whether spoken or written, along with the presence of another dear soul helping us along the way, can make all the difference when we are striving from level to the next as we navigate the challenge/change.
Have Faith
Invoking the help of our Higher Power can offer further strength and resolve.
With each step taken, and each landing reached, hope increases. When that sense of hope is nourished with support, encouragement, and faith, it fortifies us–feeling akin to love–a love that can see us through the difficult time.
Eventually, each of life’s challenges and changes reach their pinnacle, allowing for a reprieve to bask in the breezes of accomplishment and the joy of the new lifeview.
Of course, like those summer blossoms, we can’t remain on top forever. Eventually, we all must descend from the height of accomplishment. However, we can make that descent with a greater sense of resiliency, strength, and a deepened faith that we can not only move up, over, and around life’s rocks and hard places, but we can also help others do the same.
Steph Simply 