We had hiked all day in the mountains. Our feet were covered in blisters and our muscles were beyond tired.

We had about a mile remaining until we reached our car. I saw only one option, dig deep, gut it out, and pick up the pace.

At that moment, my dear friend Adam, who has in so many ways been my brother throughout the years, noted my endurance. Even though we were exhausted, I kept going. I had even sped up.

I smiled at the observation. I savored the compliment.

I had always seen my ability to keep going as a positive, but I had not considered it as an extraordinary quality in itself. In a way, endurance had a standing much qualities that I lack, but admire in others, like speed, flexibility, or coordination. It took someone who truly knows me to point out a quality in myself that I had never fully appreciated. I smiled.

We all have things about ourselves that make us truly special. Unique abilities or traits hardwired into us that we rarely acknowledge. That hike was more than a feat of endurance, it was a reminder. A reminder to listen to others and embrace the compliments in life.