Down The River

"If a man going down into a river, swollen and swiftly flowing, is carried away by the current - how can he help others across?" ~The Buddha~

It feels as though it has been way to long since I have written anything. My mind has been on a constant go of connection and wonder.

Currently in my little part of the world it is corn harvest. This is a time of year that I have a love-hate relationship with. When I think of peace, I think of one of two things. A corn field, or of water. Living where I do there is a lot more of the first than the second!

Tall stalks, sharp leaves, soft tips, a world you could easily get lost in. Rows orderly, little mounds of dirt, smells of freshness and life. To walk through a cornfield is to renew my mind. Complete silence eventually overtakes my thoughts. This as you know is a rarity for me, a treasured moment when my mind goes still. Closing my eyes I can concentrate on the sound of the breeze rustling through the corn. Sounds like whispers from Earth waiting to tell little secrets.

We all need to have our moments of mindful silence. That moment to reconnect with what calms us, inspires us, renews us, and brings us peace. Without this we will become drained. For me when I become drained, I also become self doubting and overwhelmed. When we are at this point we are no use to anyone, especially ourselves.

I have been that woman caught in the flowing current of the rivers. Barely able to stay afloat and capture gusts of air so I may breathe. The never ending battle of just surviving. So much is lost when we are this person. The beauty of the world around us is forgotten. Our identity is misplaced. We become unable to make it to the shoreline so we can continue our journey of growth.

It is then we are unable to help those who may be in need. This inability to bring a smile, compassion, or helping hand to another is a cause for more suffering and harm that could otherwise be avoidable.

Due to once being caught in the river, I know I must seek my peace. We all must learn to recognize when we are to that point in our lives. The point of losing our peace, clarity, and compassion. Once we are able to recognize that, we can then learn to build our rafts and help not only ourselves across the river but those in need that do not have the tools yet to make their own raft.

I am thankful tonight for knowing that I am on a good path of that self recognition. My only hope is to become that better person who is able to help others with their own rafts.