Would you like to join me as I follow the path up the hill to the river. I am hoping to absorb the Wisdom of the River.

The sound of rushing water echoes through the trees and becomes louder and louder as we near the river. The path ends and we step cautiously forward as we see wide, roaring, fast moving water rushing past us. Its energy is both exciting and frightening to us. We stop and stare in awe.

The waters rush past from an unknown source, heading downhill. There seems to be no set pattern except for the violent flow and splashes of river meeting rocks and tree limbs below the surface. Only a few recognizable branches are sticking out of the water as though they too could not resist the roar. We take off our shoes and step into the water.

As we move cautiously into the river the advancing waters acknowledge the new obstacle presented them and round ridges of patterns do emerge. Three and four circles, evenly spaced, encircle our legs, moving gracefully back to their established route on the other side. Looking back upstream to the rocks I see what I had first not noticed, that every time the water meets an obstacle, even though a wild disturbed splash does occur, a pattern of sorts is established. My eyes try to follow the pattern which quickly changes or dissolve and moves on. I try to grasp the first messages of the river; Everything changes.

Turning downstream I follow, with my eyes, the receding waves that only moments before had been arriving. I am reminded how much the river and life are alike; One moment that seemed to be the future approaching quickly dissolves into the past. The moment I stepped into the water I faced up stream to watch the waters coming towards me , my future rushing forward, and too soon they became a part of my past. "Wise river, does the present really not exist?" It seems that everything is rather fleeting and the pursuit of enjoying anything is almost impossible. Is it possible or even advantageous to appreciate fully the present? "Live in the Now"?

The river keeps moving on its own personal journey, ignoring my questions; or so it seemed. My thoughts were interrupted by a louder roar ahead that I had not noticed before. I stepped out of the water and headed upstream towards the roar. As I went around the bend in the river a wall of rock appeared and a cascading waterfall tumbled down from an unfathomable height.

The main part of the waterfall was in the center of the wall and a shelf like ledge seemed to invite me forward and behind the main surge of water. I removed my clothes and stepped onto the ledge, carefully moving forward through the wet spray and equally wet and slippery path. Water sprays bombard me from the center of the falls. The ledge carried me to a cave like chamber behind the falls. Stepping through the sprays and entering this surprising space I was amazed to find that the roaring sound I had become accustomed to were now strangely muffled. A wall of wet rock rose at my back and a sheet of rushing water formed the outer wall. Somehow, in this space, I knew I would find my answers.

Standing inside the chamber with no water touching me I listened to t water droplets splashing on the floor and rocks. I reach out to touch the escaping droplets and they quickly devolve in my hand. I slowly step forward into the falls. The droplets join into a solid mass and splatter on my head. I feel the force with my whole being. I am washed of all expectations of the future and cleansed from any regret of the past. I have reached a moment joined with all my senses that places me completely in the present. The river has relayed its answers well.


As we leave the river and return to our visible world I thank the unknown for leading me to the Wisdom of the River.
Jane Tilton