i'm still in this in-between valley of sorts. mountains raise up, tall and high, in either side, both beckoning me to their peaks. i know not the name of either, or what lays in waiting, but i am jointly lured and thus remain in my valley. so many things have changed and the scenery is so different. when the rocks gave way, so did my foundations. or so it would seem. i was climbing the mountain of 'life together' - marriage and children and white picket fences. but i lost my footing and had nothing to hold onto. so i fell to the bottom. and until right now, i've been just sitting here, stunned and confused, unsure of how to proceed. do i even want to climb again? i've since become bored. and restless. so i've decided to try it again. a little bit at a time. and certainly a different mountain. but i need to climb. to feel the blood in my veins, to break the earth in my hands, to taste the sweat. i must press on. being broken and bloodied does not discredit me from the summit. it only compels me to push harder, to press on through the pain. to know that the view from the summit will be worth the climb. i want to feel alive.