I found these two books at the public library (libraries are wonder-filled!) and found them both to offer interesting things to say about living along a racing river. Almost every day I walk along the Irvine River gurgling, whirling and dancing at the bottom of the Gorge and it's always beautiful, and somehow mind-quieting. In "A Living River by the Door", Sylvia Galbraith writes, "The act of looking at flowing water provokes instant revery and remove from one's day. The river water in perpetual departure exerts a relentless tug on the spirit, and instills a constant, if veiled, awareness that over the horizon on all sides lie the vast freshwater lakes that define this countryside, and the imaginative landscape of all living here." I only partial agree, but it started me thinking about my relationship to the River. I think the constant arriving and departing of the water creates a very deep sense of "here" and "right now". I'm not inspired to think about where the water has been or where it's going, or a need to dream about elsewhere, I feel my feet become very rooted to the spot, not letting the flow take me away from a strong attachment and awareness of where I am.
Living in such a natural area is easy on the senses and the soul. I hope to cultivate this appreciation and never take it for granted!
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