The River Called Life

Camped next to a river for two weeks brings about many reflective thoughts and a collection of metaphors as well.  Sitting in my armchair on the bank of the Battenkill River in Vermont it occurred to me that a river is a lot like life. 

The river never stops moving, like life. You can stand in the middle and work like crazy to stop the river, but it will just knock you down. You can’t stop it or change its direction. If you try to go upstream you can, but it sure is a lot more work.

It’s often better to go with the flow. As in life.

This river has many deep spots and shallow spots. You don’t really know ahead of time where they are so you have to be ready for anything. As I continue to sit on the bank of the river, various people float by. Some are in kayaks with helmets, vests and paddles steering carefully through the small rapids. And then there are those in tubes letting the current take them where it wants. As in life there are people who proceed with caution and accuracy and those who let life take them wherever it goes. They both got to the end point ok but this river is a gentle one. The tubers would most likely have trouble in a much more active river.

The risks are there. You can evaluate and choose how to proceed.  As in life.

A few days it rained and all the mountain streams dumped into the river causing the river to rise and look murky. As in life, sometimes we get dumped on and stress and issues cause our lives to be murky. A few days passed and the level returned to normal and the water was clear again.

As in life, we learn to hang on and be patient for the waters to clear again.

More reflecting took place as I thought about the water that passed by me. This same water will never pass by again.

As in life each day spent is gone forever, never to be repeated.

The day finally came when I decided to get off the chair and the bank and go in the water. It was cold but refreshing. As in life, many of us sit on the bank and watch life pass by us without ever dipping our feet in to feel the water. Yes there were dangers but the view was worth the risk. There were fish and beautiful glimmering rocks and sand in the water that could not be seen from the bank. Only in the water did I see the beauty of the entire river. From the bank I could see only my small area.

As in life, we must get off the bank and jump into the river of life to see it in its entirety.

The vacation on the river was not without other metaphors.  A mother duck and 10 ducklings enjoyed the water and to my surprise actually went upstream, against the flow. I had read once that a duck looks so calm on the surface but if you looked under the water its feet are going like crazy.

As in life, many of us look calm but underneath are paddling like crazy to stay on course.

I also noticed the many kinds of trees along the banks of the river that co-existed. There were birch and pine and maple all living together, sharing the air and sun and the river.

As in life, we must learn to live together and get along, and share the world.

I learned a lot from this river. It is a good teacher and provided me with many lessons.

I was reminded to appreciate each day because once it is gone, it cannot be brought back.

I will sometimes use a paddle to steer though life but sometimes it is good to be in a tube and see where life takes me.

I need to get off the bank more and get into the water of life and when the water rises and becomes murky, I will hang on to a branch and let time clear it.

I will wait for the calm.

I will go with the flow.

Good advice from a river.

The river called life.