Watching water tumble endlessly

Two sides to every story
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There’s an epic battle playing out beside the treacherously frozen riverbank, but no one knows unless they get close enough to hear the soft burble of the tumbling water.

At first glance, the rocks over which the water flows seem to have the upper hand. If not for them, the glass-smooth surface would remain undisturbed for as far as the eye can see. Instead, the water turns into a chaotic, imperfect mess, totally at the mercy of all that shapes it.

But no victory is ever permanent. Today the rocks win. Tomorrow, too. And if I had to count time, probably many tomorrows.

But someday, the water will wear the rocks down. And eventually it’ll destroy everything in its path. By our puny human-life timeline, we’ll never even see this process fully play out. But the planet works on its own clock. And nature is a patient soldier.

I’m sure there’s a broader lesson here, but as I crouch beside the water and try to avoid taking an unplanned swim, I allow the thought to dissipate.

Because not everything needs an explanation. And sometimes it’s simply enough to appreciate the scene for what it is before we eventually have to head back to the real world.

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