the Geese, the River, & the Fox - A meditation
the Geese, the River, & the Fox - A Meditation
I walk along the river at night
in a city not my own
under a sky not my own
beside a river not my own
Odd lights from an amusement park reflect of the surface of the water
and I miss my home
and I miss my people
and I am lonely
The geese sleeping in the shallows,
all of them together in the reflected light of the strange city
and slow water that pours calmly around them
Comforts me though
and I remember that I had once told myself that if I ever felt lonely,
“Go to the River. The River is a friend.”
So I go
and the river gives me images of my home and keeps me company
and the geese give me memories of my people, all of us together
and these images and their song pour quietly over the frozen rocks
and it surprises me - how much my body reacts to it,
how it makes me pause to listen and the song fills me
A fox with a white tipped tail runs in front of me in the dark,
barely visible, like a shadow without its corresponding body
The fox dashes fifty feet or so ahead of me, then turns around to face me
and as I begin to catch up
and it runs again, waits, and turns
Looking me in the eyes
over and over
as if asking me to follow
So I do
The geese, the river, and the fox
do complain about the cold or the snow or the ice that covers everything
So I do no either. I will be warm again, just not right now.
The geese, the river, and the fox
go about their quiet work and rest
and I walk with them, work like them, and rest beside them
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Today,
there are places that you miss, homes you miss
there are people that you miss and wish to kiss
you may be at home, or you may be away
or maybe you are at one home and miss another that no longer exists
or miss a life chapter now gone, or a former self you used to be
Sit still with your self
Be where you are
be lonely, be grateful, be joyful
Offer yourself the gift of kindness and
a moment free of self judgement
I ask that you say thank you now -
Simply think the words first in your mind
Then whisper them under your breath
Now say them out loud in your normal speaking voice - Thank you
Let the power of the words attach to mental images
Think of all those homes, people, places, life chapters, and former selves
and say thank you to them and for them - the exuberant, the painful, the exciting, the boring
they have all shaped you
they have all made you who you are
May you have choice with what you do with your memories, your joys, your traumas,
your loves, your given and received kindnesses, your mistakes, your moments of bliss
Like all the water combined together that makes a river flow
May you sit up straight, and stand up tall, may breath fill your lungs
May awareness of your own power fill you
May the beauty and complexity or your inner world,
and your universe strengthen you today
May you take a walk and be offered a gift of rest with the living world
You and the river share the same spirit
You and the river collect time and are everywhere all at once
May you find comfort for everything you miss
and gratefulness for everything you have
May quiet spaces be yours
May stillness and peace be yours
May you feel guidance, like the fox kindly asking you to follow with its eyes
Take one hand and use it to feel the other
Feel your face
Feel your shoulders
Feel your chest which holds your heart and your lungs
Say thank your out loud to your body
Say thank you to the spirit, the self, the soul that lives grafted to your body
May love pour from you today, and to you today
May you live out a day that you are proud of
May you be a full version of yourself
Today is set apart my friend
May it be the best you’ve ever lived
