.....gifts

Yogis,
For the last few months we have been under a drought. Weeks with no rain at all, and then when it would arrive, a few drops later it would move along. I knew the river was extremely low but I haven’t been spending time down there with all of my daily creek visits. This week, however, I had a slow day and announced to Phoebe that we were off to the river, much to her delight.  

When we arrived, my favorite rock I sit on by the water’s edge was now yards back from shore. Whole new paths uncovered and islands which are typically unreachable without a boat, now accessible by foot. So off we went!

The next two hours flew by as we hopped from rock to rock, crawled under fallen trees and sat on the perfect seat made by the trunk of the sycamore tree which I have often photographed from afar. A young mullein plant graced my path and I found a face in a rotting log observing us as we traveled.

Phoebe often showed me the best path from island to island with her keen sense of direction. We explored, finding beautiful shells and the intricate pattern of tree roots which live in the river, but now reach only into air. Wildflowers, hidden ponds and clear evidence that the deer had been through recently. All of this on land which is almost always feet under water.

When it was time to leave and we had hiked back to shore I turned to say thank you…..but then my heart opened even more as I saw the islands ablaze in reds and golds and realized what a gift I had been given. These precious hours in this amazing place.

I looked up various definitions of ‘gift’ and the one that came closest to what I felt was – something bestowed without any particular effort by the recipient. The Universe had indeed bestowed.

This weekend I had my grandson with me. Whenever he arrives, he first wants to play fire trucks, but then his next question is when we are going to the creek. I have always taken him there and he too has fallen in love. But yesterday I convinced him to come to the river.

Another two hours…..rock throwing, getting close to the plants with the camera, becoming still to watch the small fish swim by and hearing the flocks of birds fill the tree tops. We noticed that the slower we moved, the more we noticed. Standing still in one spot we witnessed spiders, crickets, hidden flowers and the leftovers from a squirrels walnut eating lunch break.

Gifts are meant to be shared and by giving we receive back again! What joy to see the river a second time through the eyes of a 4-year-old. Two gifts in one week!

As we wrapped up our second day together, I was reminded of another gift I have received……yoga. If it weren’t for my yoga practice I don’t know that I could have gotten up and down from the floor probably 40 times, scrambled rocks, crawled under the dining room table to the ‘fire station’ and played endless games of pretend baseball in the yoga studio without injuring myself. Thank you, Universe!

We never know when gifts are going to arrive…… and often the best ones do not come in the mail.

Each moment a chance for something amazing,
SARAH