Lessons from Kilimanjaro

I returned from the Mt Kilimanjaro climb about a week ago. It has taken a while for the realities of the experiences to set in ... I thought to share some lessons here before they become distant memory. It was a very tough climb - both physically and mentally. it took the team more than 8 hrs in the final ascent day to get to the summit - amidst subzero temperature, unrelenting blasting wind, low levels of oxygen, slippery slopes, lack of sleep, and under the cover of darkness. But i suppose all these contribute to the sweetness of success. There is a sense in which, without the toughness, there will be less satisfaction: the strength of the feeling of achievement comes with the toughness of getting there. It is consistent with the adage of "no pain no gain", implying that "gain" comes through "pain". This reminds me that this might be the same for the children too. Often, there is temptation to shield our children from toughness. But worthwhile goals in life often come with a lot of exertion and perseverance through toughness. I think of the common complaints that my children offered when they were younger, "this CCA practices are so tough and boring; when I first joined, I thought it would be fun!" my initial instinct was to release them of their 'torture' by allowing them to quit. Later, I would learn that they should persevere for at least a reasonable length of time more. Usually, when they later tasted of the fruits of hard labour, they found the tough journey worthwhile and necessary. But one ingredient I thought was very important for the reaching of the summit was pole pole (pronounced as po-le po-le in Swahili which means going very slowly). The main problem hindering success is poor acclimatization, especially to the low levels of oxygen. Going pole pole increases the chance of our body getting used to lesser oxygen per inhale. Conversely, those who rush the ascent tends to accentuate the occurrence of acute mountain sickness. How true it is in the development of our children. It cannot be rushed, can it? It is easy for us to lose patience and want them to learn - fast (often faster than they are comfortable with) - and the effects can be worse. We need to observe their steps and follow their pace - one step at a time, slowly, often repeatedly. It may take very much longer, but we should get there nevertheless.