Flowing

At the beginning of our journey, we each set a tiny boat upon the River of Time, and the flowing water takes our frail craft upon its ample bosom and carries it, who knows where?  The flow welcomes, caresses, supports each little coracle, through shallows and eddies, rapids and pools, and we cling on as best we can.

Most of us begin the journey with help, older travellers who have seen something of the River, know some of the tricks it can pull.  They will guide us; ‘Hold the paddle, so,’ or, ‘Lean to the side,’ or, ‘Not that way!’.  And we will heed their words – or not; seek out the direction they suggest, or find our own way along the flow.

For eventually, inevitably, we are alone on this journey.  We must negotiate the flow as best we may, keeping our eyes open for hidden rocks and other dangers.  Those who encouraged our earliest fumbling will watch us strike out with confidence, then fade further and further behind.  At first, we may still seek them, taking our eyes off the way ahead in order to search for them, but soon they can offer no more help.

The first time the craft of a fellow traveller disappears completely, we may not even realise what has happened.  We may expect them to pop up again, either immediately or at some future point in the journey.  Their absence leaves a space on the water, a gap that will never be filled again, no matter how many boats crowd the River.

And at some point we recognise that, one day, we will leave a similar space, an emptiness that cannot be filled by any other craft.

All around us are other boats, some large, some small, and those paddling them come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, too.  Some will travel alongside us for a spell, helping or hindering as the case may be.  What can be more encouraging than the cheery conversation of a friend, the type who always knows the right thing to say and whose own resources for seeing the best in life seem inexhaustible?  And when the River is threatening to overwhelm their craft, what joy there is to be had in offering a hand to bail them out!

As for those whose purpose in life seems to be to make ours more difficult, how are we to view them?  Remember that all obstacles provide opportunities for overcoming them.  When a boulder lurches into view ahead, a well-timed dip of the paddle can avoid disaster.  And if you hit the boulder, so what?  Next time, you will know how to swerve out of the way!  The same is true of other vessels, whether placed deliberately by their pilots, or not.

There will be times when avoiding such obstacles carries us far from the friendly boats, leaving us adrift and alone in unknown and difficult waters.  This is when we fall back on our own strength, finding resources within ourselves that have lain unseen because unneeded until this moment.  And we will find ourselves able to meet this challenge, too, as we work our way back to our loved ones with new tales to tell of our adventures.

Different people will travel in different ways.  Some will seek out the calmer waters, growing nervous when their craft is buffeted by ripples!  Others live for the thrill of the rapids, seeking out danger and the thrill of risk.

Then there are those who, quite literally, go with the flow.  They trust the River to carry them, believing that their craft can weather all the challenges placed before it.  And it will, because the boat is made for the River, and the River welcomes all travellers with equal indifference.

And as the River winds on, you will find your arms growing weaker, your strokes less firm and assured.  You joined the River at a particular point, and the place where you must leave it is growing nearer.  Others have left the flow, others have joined; you have watched them come and go.  You have travelled through still ponds and rushing rapids, but your time to disembark has finally come.

What new adventures await you, away from the River?