Of Waterfalls, Ruins, and Restlessness
Today I am grateful for working appliances, like our washer and dryer. I am also grateful for laughter just when you need it, laughter to affirm our humanness and our connections.
I took off for a bike ride yesterday morning with several things on my mind. No surprise there. I often have several things on my mind. Biking, running, walking all help me sort through those various things. Like other healthy practices I do, some days I am more tuned into the actual practice and other days I am more going through the motions.
That is the beauty of habits and discipline though. They become instilled in my routine and I make time for them. Some days that will be all it is: putting the time in to practice. On other days, clarity may come through loud and clear. And on other days, deep emotion may bubble up and out.
What does any of this have to do with the title of today's post? On that bike ride yesterday, I paused at the beautiful waterfall I most often go right by, having passed it hundreds of times. I stood and watched the water rushing over the falls, and I thought about how insignificant a gallon of water is in that stream. Yet, one gallon joins another and another, and the falls rush forward.
I took my bike down to the ruins of an old mill along the river. It's another spot I rarely go see, after 19 years in this community with all of the historic sites it has to offer. I was drawn to it yesterday and stood a moment looking up at the partial rock walls that have stood for many decades. I thought about the importance of building a good base.
Structures need a solid base. People need a solid base. Thankfully, we can strengthen and reinforce our own and one another's groundwork as needed throughout our lives. Nobody got a perfect start to life, yet we each got the makings of greatness. Great fullness of life.
I was restless as I rode and processed, thinking about my dying sister and the restlessness she is experiencing lately. Thinking about those things that are leaving me with a restless heart and emotions. Yet, my pauses at the waterfall and the ruins left me hopeful, left me feeling connected to something much bigger than myself and my restlessness. My base grew a little stronger.
I took off for a bike ride yesterday morning with several things on my mind. No surprise there. I often have several things on my mind. Biking, running, walking all help me sort through those various things. Like other healthy practices I do, some days I am more tuned into the actual practice and other days I am more going through the motions.
That is the beauty of habits and discipline though. They become instilled in my routine and I make time for them. Some days that will be all it is: putting the time in to practice. On other days, clarity may come through loud and clear. And on other days, deep emotion may bubble up and out.
What does any of this have to do with the title of today's post? On that bike ride yesterday, I paused at the beautiful waterfall I most often go right by, having passed it hundreds of times. I stood and watched the water rushing over the falls, and I thought about how insignificant a gallon of water is in that stream. Yet, one gallon joins another and another, and the falls rush forward.
I took my bike down to the ruins of an old mill along the river. It's another spot I rarely go see, after 19 years in this community with all of the historic sites it has to offer. I was drawn to it yesterday and stood a moment looking up at the partial rock walls that have stood for many decades. I thought about the importance of building a good base.
Structures need a solid base. People need a solid base. Thankfully, we can strengthen and reinforce our own and one another's groundwork as needed throughout our lives. Nobody got a perfect start to life, yet we each got the makings of greatness. Great fullness of life.
I was restless as I rode and processed, thinking about my dying sister and the restlessness she is experiencing lately. Thinking about those things that are leaving me with a restless heart and emotions. Yet, my pauses at the waterfall and the ruins left me hopeful, left me feeling connected to something much bigger than myself and my restlessness. My base grew a little stronger.
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