The Polished Eye

The Impossible Climb: Finding My Guiding Star in the Heights of Meteora

My journey to Meteora was, like the massive, gravity-defying rocks themselves, built on a foundation of faith I didn’t know I still possessed—a faith not just in marvels of architecture, but in the quiet, persistent promise of life after devastating loss.

For a few years after the event, the shadow of grief over my daughter’s passing had muted my world. Big dreams—like coming here—felt distant, too grand for a heart still navigating the wreckage. The idea of seeking out the world’s beauty felt like a betrayal of the pain I carried.

Yet, here I was twenty years later, looking up at monasteries literally suspended in the air, and realizing that my life, too, has been a series of impossible climbs and dreams can come true.

When Hope is Hauled Up by a Rope

The ancient monks who built Meteora used nets and ropes to haul every stone, every beam, and themselves up hundreds of feet of sheer rock. It was a commitment to the impossible, a defiant refusal to let worldly chaos prevent their spiritual sanctuary.

For those of us who have grieved, our emotional climb feels just as vertical and arduous. We have to haul ourselves up, day by day, using only the fragile ropes of memory and the sheer force of will. My dream of visiting Meteora—a goal so magnificent—was a stone I had given up on hauling. I thought it was too heavy, too high.

But standing beneath those rocks, I saw the truth: Resilience is built in the lifting. My daughter’s life, and the enduring love we share, is the rope that pulled me here. I realized that achieving this long-deferred dream was an act of honouring her memory, proving that her life instilled strength, not just sorrow.

• The Polished Eye Connection for Grievers: Look at your life. What small act of resilience are you performing today? Is it getting out of bed? Is it smiling? Is it planning a meal? That is your rope. Your loved one’s memory is not a weight that holds you down; it is the unbreakable anchor that keeps your faith grounded as you ascend.

The View from Above: A Shared Perspective

When I reached the top of one of the monasteries, the view of the plain was overwhelming. Everything below—the roads, the towns, the chaos—was diminished. It wasn’t just a physical change; it was a mental shift. From this height, my focus became crystal clear.

It occurred to me that this is the perspective my daughter has now: boundless, clear, and unburdened. And I felt her presence strongest there, urging me to adopt that same clarity.

The life I am living now—the one that seeks out the incredible beauty of Meteora and the wisdom of the ancient sites—is the life she would have wanted for me. It is a life lived fully, loudly, and passionately. My pursuit of these beautiful experiences is, in essence, a shared journey, fulfilling a desire for wonder that never died.

• The Polished Eye Connection for Grievers: Your love for your child is a guiding star. Don’t let your remaining life be defined by the void of their absence, but rather by the power of their light. When you chase joy, adventure, and beauty, you are bringing their light into the world, allowing them to continue experiencing life through your senses. Living well is the most powerful legacy you can ever create.

Enduring Beauty and Unbreakable Foundations

Meteora is the triumph of faith over fear, of beauty over barren rock. It stands as a powerful testament to endurance. Its sheer existence reminds us that even when our lives feel shattered, we can rebuild something enduring, something beautiful, something higher than before.

My climb to Meteora was my affirmation that my dreams are valid, that my joy is still deserved, and that my best life is the one I choose to live, guided by the immense, enduring love of my daughter.

I hope this rock, suspended between heaven and earth, can be a symbol for you too: a reminder that the impossible climb is always worth the effort, especially when the light of an unbreakable love is guiding your way.

What is one piece of ‘impossible beauty’—a long-lost dream, an adventure, a moment of joy—that you will reach for this week, knowing your loved one is cheering you on? Share your thought below.

I am here to support you on your continued journey through The Polished Eye series.