If Life Is A River, Enjoy The View From The Rowboat
I saw this image whilst editing a release for this week.
When trying to find an image for a piece, I look for something that completely encapsulates the story I’m painting.
However, this image spoke.
The switch was almost instantaneous, but I was transported from the driver's seat to the passenger.
I was no longer the scathing judge behind the casting table.
Not anymore.
I was an enthralled fan in the audience, lapping up every morsel of nectar.
I found myself there.
Perched on the rowboat
Bobbing on still waters
Captivated.
From the meandering ripples rearing their heads in swathes, galloping from the slow pursuit of my tiny little rowboat
To the deafening silence of nature, caressing me with tender, draughty kisses and petalesque hymns
I was there.
Welcomed by a grand reception.
From the throngs of leaves who bowed at the direction of the breeze before my humble approach
To the noble peaks who simply watched, a firm handshake within their quiet evaluation
I was there.
In slow pursuit of the beauty before me,
Without haste or rush,
With no interest in whatever elapsed.
Grateful to be able to experience every last drop.
Simply bobbing.
Why are we so rushed?
Is the future before us not beautiful?
Is there not breath-taking beauty in our present?
Is there nothing worthy of our uninterrupted appreciation?
Of our pause?
I think there is.
Simply being alive is cause for appreciation.
Cause for captivation,
Cause for pause.
As if we were truly bobbing on a tiny little rowboat—innocently in awe.
All it took was one image to make me stop.
And in that moment, I saw myself on a tiny little rowboat.
Content with my journey.
Not because I had finished,
Not because of the triumphs and upsets of the past.
Not because of the accolades or trophies,
But because I had the privilege to experience the here and now for what it truly is—beautiful.
Without haste or rush.
Simply bobbing.
Because my journey is ongoing.
I am still on the rowboat.
There is beauty, comfort, and inspiration in everything around me.
And I encourage you to join me in finding time to pause.
Since it is, as Lao Tzu said,
Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different perspectives.
Enjoy the opportunity to view it in reverence, not reminiscence.
LM
Thank you for reading!
American psychologist Alok Konojia, or ‘HealthyGamerGG’, says:
“The absence of reflection is the reason you’re stuck.”
To solidify our growth, let’s reflect:
Petrichor’s 1-Minute Reflection:
- How did you feel before reading?
- How did you feel whilst reading?
- Do you feel any different now that you’ve finished?
- What is your one takeaway from reading this?
