Reflections from the Top of the World

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. It can be climbed successfully with minimal technical skill, but the physical and mental challenges are huge. The secret to conquering Mount Kilimanjaro is to just keep going, a maxim that applies equally when facing the trials of life, such as bereavement, heartbreak, and loneliness. Loneliness is perhaps one of the most insidious legacies of the COVID-19 pandemic. People increasingly live alone, work alone and play alone; di