Paddling with Purpose

Paddling with Purpose

Life is like a river,
Or at least the life I’ve known,
Sometimes it meanders slowly
And our paddles start to groan.

We might cry for forward current
To propel us toward our goals,
But the river works against us
Like our oars are full of holes.

Forked paths face us frequently
And so we must decide,
Based only on what we see,
Which fork will give our desired ride?

And even that’s a question:
What is our goal on this trip?
Have we set a destination?
What speed do we want to clip?

In times of calm we reflect
On the river ride we seek.
Water gently flows below us,
As our boats now rock and creak.

Then suddenly, it happens:
The river picks up speed.
We’re thrust into winding rapids
Not quite knowing where they lead.

Our peaceful paddling of the past
No longer feels worthwhile,
For the power of the river
Seems to move us by the mile.

Only after braving waters
As tumultuous as these,
Do we raise our heads once more
To signs of progress in the trees.

The days and weeks of paddling
To seemingly no avail
Have finally brought us forward,
Marching down our chosen trail.

We relish in these moments,
Praising our river’s swift flow
But too often we don’t recognize
We control how we row.

We chose each path that brought us
From the banks to where we sit.
Finding our paths built confidence
While rowing gave us grit.

So next time you are questioning
The fork approaching fast,
Put some faith in your paddle
And give credit to your past.

Take joy in rowing forward,
Whether forward’s right or wrong.
For, in time, the river has a way
Of moving us along.

We may not always know the way
The river’s set to be,
But one thing at least is certain:
All our rivers lead to sea.

By Kanan R Wanha
Written 2024-10-29