FLOW

I was staring through a window and noticed what appeared to be a stream or maybe a river. I’d like to assume that a year ago this river was a force of nature to be reckoned with. It seemed to wind down the landscape for kilometres which got me to thinking of how many thousands of years it took for the stream to make its way through the rock and soil to the sea.

Another thought came to mind, ‘the source of the river’. In most cases, river sources aren’t quite as majestic as the rivers themselves. Take the source of the Zambezi River, one of the longest rivers in Africa. I hear if you aren’t guided and shown where the source is, you might miss it, barely being able to recognise it without assistance. River sources don’t have to be huge or attention seeking, no, all they have to be is consistent. The constant flow of water, no matter how minor, over many years will eventually lead to the creation of a mighty river like the Zambezi.

The stream that I saw caught my attention in another manner too, you see, there’s been a drought in much of southern Africa. And while the flow of the river could be clearly seen, something was missing or absent, water. The river was bone dry, not a drop of water in it. All that was there was the river sand. The reality of the effects of the 2023/2024 drought sunk in and I sincerely hope that this year’s rain season will more than make up for the lack of it that was experienced.

What does a river source have in common with a drought? I’m not sure, but they both got me thinking. As humans we experience changes in seasons, have different phases in life and these usually affect us and our relationships.

“The only constant thing in life is change,” a phrase a don’t particularly like but keeps showing itself to be true. We tend to be creatures of habit. Enjoying our routines as well as the solid and dependable relationships we have built. After all, starting all over again is a lot of work, we would much rather stick to familiar people or places. Well, that is until the place shuts down, then we are forced to make an adjustment.

When seasons change, take the shift from winter to spring, often times it means setting aside our winter coats and pulling out our umbrella and bugs spray. I think the same could be said about people. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that with each new season a new group of friends is needed, no. However, it is true that some friends come into our lives for specific times, places and seasons. And no matter how hard you both try, once that season or phase passes, unfortunately so too does the relationship. The danger would be trying to hold on to a person that simply doesn’t fit in your new season nor you in theirs.

So what do we do?  Much like the a flowing river, I think we have to learn to be flexible. Twisting, turning and curving our way smoothly through the rock or soil until we eventually get to the sea. We have to accept when certain relationships end and look forward to new ones that come along the way. Rather than holding on to a former glory that will not amount to anything in the future, we should embrace new beginnings and look forward to them.