The Rushing River

    THE RUSHING RIVER




Dusk had approached and what was remaining of the sun was poking through the tall trees above. The heat of the day had made it nearly impossible to continue the long and treacherous trek through the mountains. I wiped the remaining sweat from my brow using the sleeve of my plaid sweater that I had tied around my waste. The flask of water that had always stayed by my side in the pocket of my backpack had diminished. I stood for a while contemplating my surroundings and realized that even amid puzzling situations and the mere discomfort of being thirsty and weary, nature could always calm the soul. A mist formed around the area and the smell of fresh pine tickled my nostrils and sent me into a trance of complete serenity, but as these events transpired, I picked up a peculiar sound and one very familiar to me that reminded me of pleasant times and images of my childhood twirled around my head. It was the sound of a rushing river and I could imagine the smell of moss on the rocks and the harmony of sparrows singing in the branches. I picked up my feet that were sweaty and sore all snug inside my hefty hiking boots and followed the sound of the river. The surrounding atmosphere resembled a fairy tale, misty and mysterious and sent an overall feeling of bliss throughout my body that all the pain in my feet had faded. Butterflies danced around fresh bloomed flowers that hugged the bottom of the rocks along the path I walked and continued on right up to a tall oak tree with many branches spread out in all directions that must be home for many of the forest animals. The sound of the river had gotten closer, I knew it had to be beyond the vast array of trees. I continued on for several minutes absorbing the beautiful sights and smells that surrounded me and stumbled upon a slight slope that I climbed down with ease and it met me with a beautiful clearing and the river sounded like it was right beside me. A smile so bright formed onto my face as I emerged through the tall grass and the river revealed itself to me, beautiful and clear. I discovered a smooth rock that I sat on, removing my boots and socks. I let out a sigh of relief when the fresh air hit my feet and I tilted my head back toward the sky above me and smiled as if to thank the earth for the exceptional things it instills upon me. I set my backpack down next to the rock and pulled the flask out of the pocket. The river looked so clean and serene that I just had to taste it. I dipped my feet into the water and the cool, gentle stream relieved my feet of its anguish and my mind wandered to the same sound I had heard during my entire journey and it was the sound of rushing water and I wondered how the water I stood in was so calm. I walked along the mud and stones and gasped in excitement when I noticed behind a lush tree and a cluster of rocks, a waterfall. I stepped onto the big rocks below the waterfall with a tight grip and held out my flask and collected the water that rushed down. I took a sip and then another and ended up gulping it all down. At that point I urged myself forward and stood behind the waterfall, a light mist saturated my body. I remained there until nightfall and decided to trek back to my spot on the rock where I would peacefully sleep to the sound of night critters singing their tune.
I awoke in the wee hours of the morning and laid there, head leaning up against my backpack, staring up at the lightly dimmed sky. In all these moments, I forgot about all the hardships of the world, all the trials and tribulations, the disappointment. Forgetting what it is to be, Human. If only we could all pause and take in the world around us, feel the mud between our toes, the warmth of the sun, the initial shock when you step into cold waters and staring up at the starry night sky. I laid there, eyes adjusting to the light, smelling the fresh morning dew as birds spoke to one another in the distance. I laid there, happy and content, never wanting to leave.