The River at Peace

The longing I have to go to the river consumes me, and I awaken several times in the dark before dawn in sheer anticipation of visiting it...

In the early morning, Grace and I head down to an almost pristine setting that is so different from what I encountered on Sunday. I come in search of peace, and it is gloriously evident in all my surroundings...

I push off, and paddle upstream nearly effortlessly, with very few interruptions to my cadence. I am determined to reach my favorite spot between two islands and the riverbanks of two states...

A magnificent heron flies from the Virginia side to the island on the Maryland side, gliding gracefully, a few feet above the waters. I see some bass flipping about. It is quiet here - except for the birds singing joyously. I pass one fisherman as well.

I paddle upstream, determined to round the bend and work through some deeply held feelings. As I approach the clearing of waters that is both sacred and healing to me, I notice the heron is perched on the corner of the island. It is as if he were waiting for me.

I express gratitude and offer prayers, and begin to float back quite quickly. It does not take me long to paddle back to the boat launch area.

I momentarily reflect on a few beautiful quotes I read earlier in the morning:

"If your everyday life seems poor,
don't blame it; blame yourself;
admit to yourself
that you are not enough of a poet
to call forth its riches;
because for the creator
there is no poverty
and no indifferent place."
-Rainer Maria Rilke

"Not what we have,
but what we enjoy
constitutes our abundance."
- John Petit-Senn

"If ordinary people really knew
that consciousness and not matter
is the link that connects us
with each other and the world,
then their views about war and peace,
environmental pollution, social justice,
religious values, and all other human endeavors
would change radically."
- Amit Goswami

And then I replay, these entries that I shared on my social networks, fruit of Yogananda's writings, on the topic of peace. They come from his Spiritual Diary...

"When we become filled
with the joy of making others happy...
then we shall know
that God is expressing himself through us."
- Yogananda

"Every time a swarm of worries
invades your mind...
spray the worries with
the powerful chemical of your peace."
- Yogananda

"When you are honest with yourself
you will find the road to inner peace."
- Yogananda

And somehow I leave this wonderful place on this magnificent morning, with the peace that I sought, and yet have always carried inside...