Moving On Down

Last weekend, my friend and I made our way through the national parks in Southern Utah. I was surprised at how much the desert colors reminded me of a favorite t-shirt washed a hundred times: muted, blended, comfortable. At Dead Horse Point, we stood on what felt like the top of the world and looked out at endless, deep canyons. In the middle of them all runs the Colorado river, and per usual when I see rivers that size, the last line of A River Runs Through It crossed my mind. "I am haunted by waters..."

As someone who loves efficiency, I couldn't help but notice the roundabout route the river takes on its way to the ocean. It curves around rocks in big, horseshoe-like shapes and winds down canyons, over rocks, and through dams. And as far as we know, the river doesn't put up a fuss. It chooses to go around the things it couldn't go straight through and has kept moving despite hundreds of extra miles it takes to reach its destination had it been on a more express route. Staring out at it all, I could see the parallels to life. There have been times where I wanted to skip B, C, and D in order to get somewhere a little faster (both in literal and figurative journeys). I complained about unneeded loops, and I grumbled at the extra distance. But, like the river, I need to simply go around that which I can't go through and gracefully accept a new route if my persistent efforts with one don't lead me somewhere. And, most importantly, I need to remember that no matter the length of the journey, the destination is the same.

So here's to looking up, admiring the view, thanking the deep blue sky, and moving on down the river.