I dusted off my rock climbing shoes this morning and took my five year old rock climbing. In my twenties I used to climb all the time. At the gym, outdoors top roping or bouldering. I loved it and could do it with ease.
As we packed up our gear and headed off to the rock climbing gym I was reminiscing about some of my favorite climbs and how great it would feel to get back on the wall...well lets just say I enjoyed myself, but it wasn't the same. Somewhere over the last 10 years my body got older. I don't recall rock climbing shoes ever being comfortable, but they seemed to hurt a lot more. My joints protested as I climbed up the wall and I noticed I didn't like heights as much as I used to.
It's not that I'm out of shape, yoga and cardio training has kept me in great shape. Rock climbing is it's own beast, those of you who are, or used to be climbers, will attest to this. My climbing today woke me up to the realization that even though I'm not old, my body is showing signs of aging. Specifically my joints. I assume this is due to all the abuse I put them through in my younger years and because I am hyper-flexible.
I was pretty disappointed when I realized I didn't love rock climbing anymore. I'm at the point in my life that if it hurts, I don't feel the need to do it. But then joy spread through me as I watched my daughter fall in love with it. She spent two and a half hours climbing. I literally had to peel her off the mat and take her home. She was exhausted and still wanted to climb. My passion will live on through her.
Letting go of parts of us doesn't have to be sad or painful. Take a moment to relish the thing that you had and then let it go. It will open you up for something else. I don't know what will replace my rock climbing, but I do know that something will. Till then I will belay my daughter with a wide grin on my face and find pure joy in her adventure.
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