November 24-C, 2022

We are to our lives 
as a river is to its channel. 

The river cuts the channel 
as the channel shapes 
and restricts the river. 

Who is in charge, in control? 

The circumstances are in control.
How much rainfall?
For how long?
How often?

The river cannot be separated from its channel, 
or channel from river. 
The river and the channel are one entity, 
one thing. 

We think our lives are ours 
to do with as we will, 
that we are in charge
and can make anything happen, 
or keep anything from happening, 
if we just try hard enough. 

But. 

Our life has a mind of its own.
We are either in the channel 
or out of it.

We belong to our lives 
as much as our lives belong to us, 
as much as a river belongs to its channel,
and as much as the channel belongs to the river.

Our degree of “success” with life 
is as much about who we become 
through the process of living our lives 
as about what we make happen there--
as much about cooperating with our life
as the river cooperates with its channel.

River and channel. 
One beautiful thing.
At one 
all the way to the sea.

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