"You can do anything with faith at your side."

My mother had told me years ago. I hadn’t understood. I still don’t. She’d whispered in my ear, her hand lovingly caressing my hair, “Believe in yourself, Audrey. Success will only come if you believe in yourself. Be strong.” That was the day she died. I had nodded, barely hearing her, tears filling my eyes, spilling over like an overflowing bucket. A bucket filled with sadness and hopelessness. My father had explained to me many years ago that my name, Audrey, meant strong. Both mentally and physically. He had told me to be strong. I tried. Now, years later, the pain of loss was just a dull ache in my heart.

Sun rays warmed my face, showing the start of a new day. It filled the vast expanse of endless cerulean, and illuminated the puffy white clouds. Specks of color dotted the floor- many different shades of lustrous ruby, topaz, and emerald. The leaves littered the floor, covering it in a colorful blanket. The entire 8th grade was on a “field trip”. It had been a two hour drive to Camp Merina. I couldn’t believe that we had gotten here yesterday. Time had passed very quickly, like a speedy racehorse.  Everyone was psyched to get started on their second activity. Luckily, my friends and I had the same one. Rock climbing.

“Welcome to rock climbing,” the counselor said cheerfully, “I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun. I’m Ali, and that’s Olivia.” Ali gestured to the other counselor.
Olivia smiled and explained, “We’re first going to show you how to put on a harness. Then, you can start climbing!” Everyone watched intently, knowing that if we didn’t get it right, it would be very dangerous. This was our safety line. Our life-line. It rested in the harness, the rope, and the counselors. Terrifying. I wasn’t sure if I could even climb half-way through. I stared in awe at the towering rock above us. There was no way I could climb that. As everyone else started putting on harnesses, I hung back. I knew I couldn’t do it. My friend, Hana, noticed, “Audrey, do you need a harness? Here.” She handed me a harness.

“No, I just don’t feel like climbing. Not in the mood,” I replied, giving her a weak smile.
“Why not?” Hana asked, confused, “It’ll be fun. I promise. Just give it a try. Who knows? Maybe you’ll like it. What’s the worst that’ll happen?”
I smiled, a real, genuine smile, “Ok, you convinced me. I’ll give it a try.” I took the harness from her hand and began putting it on. Meanwhile, people had already started to climb. Soon enough, it was my turn. Nervousness blossomed inside me, like a flower blossoming from a bud. Hand shaking, I grabbed a handhold. Deep breaths, I thought, deep breaths. As I climbed, I began to calm down. This wasn’t so bad after all, I guess. I kept climbing, pausing to look down every once in awhile. The forms of my friends and the counselors almost looked like dots. I reached a huge crack in the rock. How was I supposed to climb this? I looked around, scrutinizing the rock for any kind of handhold. I was stuck. “Come on, you can do this! Whoo!” My friends cheered, egging me on. I smiled, grateful for their support. Suddenly, I heard my mother’s voice from all those years ago, echoing in the crisp, autumn air. Success will only come if you believe in yourself. Be strong. I looked back at the rock, feeling determined. I tentatively, hesitantly tried what she said. I believed in myself. I believe that I can do this. With newfound determination and faith, I managed to scale the crack. My friends believed in me. I believed in me. My teachers believed in me. My family believed in me. I can do anything. A single, scarlet leaf drifted lazily down. As it caught the light of the sun, for just a second, it lit up like fire, tongues of flame curling, and uncurling. A new fire awakened inside of me, shooting through m body like a ray of light. Hope sparked in me. A new confidence I never had before. Self-confidence. All of a sudden, I was at the top. At the top of the hardest course. I had done it. I had done it with faith supporting me the whole way. I took a break at the top for a moment, basking in the warmth of the sun and the feeling of victory, pausing to gaze at the serene view of untouched forest. A vast expanse of green emeralds combining with a vast ocean of  cerulean aquamarines. Sunlight sparkled in the sky, shining, lighting up the world with hope and faith. I could almost see a second sun, a sun lit by hope and faith. I could almost see my mother smiling, almost hear her say, “Have faith, Audrey. You can do anything with faith at your side.”