I know that I’m like most people when it comes to issues that trouble me; I tend to think of them as immense obstacles, giant barriers to happiness. And, many times, I feel that they will overwhelm me. It’s during these moments that I try to remember another of the great lessons that my dad taught me.

His love of the outdoors wore off on me, and together we shared bike rides, rafting trips, and (our favorite) long hikes. Growing up in Colorado, we had no shortage of gorgeous trails, with views of the Rocky Mountains that would take your breath away.

During one particular hike in late August, near the continental divide, we found ourselves sitting alongside a small, blue-green lake, surrounded by peaks that stretched close to 13,000 feet. They were jagged, rocky peaks, with patches of dirty ice that had never quite melted from the previous winter. We ate trail mix and bananas, and my dad listened attentively while I whined on and on about a problem that (to me) seemed insurmountable. In fact, I might have even said, “This will never go away.”

He patiently waited until I grew quiet. Then, he pointed at the fortress of rock that loomed above us. “These mountains,” he said, “are quite majestic, aren’t they?” I didn’t answer right away, because I knew that he was about to make an important point. Instead I followed his gaze to the massive rock face before us. He continued: “They tower over us, and they seem as if they’ll be here forever.”

“But look down here,” he said, and indicated the base of the slope. Littered as far as we could see were giant boulders, along with countless other pieces of rock and debris. “All of that came down from this mountain over time. Wind, rain, ice, running water; all of these things have taken this impossibly strong mountain and worn it away. You can see the results lying all around us. And, it still goes on, even today. A year from now there will be even more debris down here, eroded from the face of the cliff. Years from now, this entire mountain will be worn away.”

I looked at him and he smiled. “Do you see what I’m trying to tell you?” Of course I did. As difficult as things may seem, as massive as any problem might appear, it’s often no match for time and patience. What we think of as insurmountable is no more permanent than the Rocky Mountains. We can always overcome.

 (So what do you say, Galahad fans? Have you ever felt like a problem was so big that you would never be able to overcome it? What would you add to what Triana’s dad told her? What advice would you give to someone who was battling a difficult situation? As always, this is your chance to share your thoughts and feelings. And thank you so much for supporting the Galahad series!)