the way the sun caught the ice axe, almost blinding… like a dare. to look directly at what could cut you open. and not flinch. that's all it is, isn't it? not flinching. after all the falling, after all the screaming into the wind, after all the times the mountain laughed… the only thing left is whether you can stand there and not turn away. surrender isn't weakness. it's just… not turning away. not sure why i'm putting this here. guess maybe someone else needs to hear it… or maybe i do, again. just didn’t want to forget how the light felt when it almost burned through me.