The Lowest Rung

The Lowest Rung

The lowest rung on a ladder.

The first step of the staircase.

At first glance, these seem the obvious places to begin—

the natural way forward, the right decision.

We climb, eager to ascend, to rise higher.

But then we reach the first landing.

We pause.

Looking back, we see other steps we could have taken,

other rungs that were within reach.

And we wonder—

What if I had chosen differently?

What if I had climbed another ladder?

Where would I be now?

And then, another choice arises.

Do we follow this staircase?

Do we take an alternate path?

Every step forward is a step away

from what might have been.

Higher and higher we climb,

always glancing back,

imagining the view from another height.

Yet, when we finally reach the summit of our life,

when we stand at the peak of our journey,

we see the truth—

None of those other staircases,

none of those other ladders

would have led us here.

From this vantage point, we understand.

It is easy to resent that first step,

to see it as a mistake, a misstep.

And yet—

it was the only step we took.

The only step that set us on our way.

So, love the first step.

Embrace the lowest rung.

Celebrate the journey.

For every path begins with a single step.