Remembering the Remarkables

This piece is about mountains in many forms. Metaphorically speaking, everyone has his or her own mountain to climb, and for me, that was a literal mountain. My New Year's resolution for 2017 was to climb a 14-er. Those who know me know that strenuous activity is not my idea of fun, but I wanted this goal to stretch me. That spring I had a knee injury that caused me to go through a few months of physical therapy, thus making it not possible for me to make the climb that year. Summer 2018 had me working toward my goal again, this time with a bit of hesitation after my injury. On a Sunday in August, I made it to the top. I don't think I was totally prepared to feel so exhausted and strong at the same time. I had accomplished something that I didn't think I would actually be able to do. This experience taught me two things. First, that climbing a mountain has two victories: getting to the top and then getting back to the bottom again. Each had their own challenges, but they were all part of the same goal. The second is that mountains have false peaks. You may think you are nearing the top, only to realize you are only halfway up. I found that these lessons apply to life as well, and the women who were part of the suffrage movement no doubt experienced them in their journey. These remarkable women paved the way for women of the future to have the freedom to pursue the lives they want. Writing this piece is only a small tribute when compared to the gratitude they deserve. The title, Remembering the Remarkables, was inspired by my recent trip to New Zealand. There is a mountain range called the Remarkables on the southern island that is so perfectly picturesque and inspiring that I don't think I could ever forget them. It was here that my piece began to take shape. For a Kansas girl, mountains have really shaped my life.