Sunday, September 12, 2010

Someone loves Irene . . .



How many times in life do we really fight to go against the current? In beautiful Verona, after a long day of walking and seeing, we had stopped by the river to sit in the shade and just take in the moment. That is something that can often be hard on vacation because you want to see it all and capture it all and are so caught up in the doing, that sometimes you forget to truly be in the moment. I thought about that when looking down the river and far in the distance was this man, rowing against the current. I was in the moment and full of emotion and was struck by the beautiful lesson that was unfolding before me - go against the current.
He was alone in this big river and he was doing what most would shy against. He looked relaxed and empowered as he slowly and steadily made his way up and through the hard water currents. He could have decided that he was too tired or that it was too hard but he didn't - he saw ahead and realized that he was coming closer to the hardest part of the river where there were rapids and rocks and so much in his way - he didn't stop, he didn't waver, he kept going. Many times in our lives we are struggling upstream, fighting against the current and wishing for the easy way. If we hold out we come to realize that the "easy way", really wasn't all that easy and that we cheated ourselves from so much more; yes, maybe more heartache, more pain, more suffering but also more strength, more love and more knowledge and experience. I want the more strength and sometimes I'm just going to have to realize that to get it means to . . . . . . go against the current . . . .






ps - do you like the color version or this black and white, i can't decide:)


No comments: