Life is a River, a Journey, a Destination

We are all travelers afloat on the river of life from the moment of birth

Life is a river, and we all embark on our trips down the river, together and separately from the moment of birth. The course flows like the river of no return that it is. Once we set sail, there is no turning back.

We are both impelled and compelled, driven and driving once we are launched on the voyage we call life. Eventually, we will all be washed up on the far distant shores of never-never land, our eventual destination.

We set sail from a certain past enroute to an uncertain future. We may start out with a childlike innocence but we all end up as grizzled, seasoned veterans, experienced travelers.

We become a different version of ourselves every day, every month, and every year. It is an inevitable process as we navigate all the twists and turns of the river as it flows.

We must be at home with all the features of the river, the eddies of urgency as well as the pools of tranquility.

It is all mixed together on our journey, from running the rapids of despair and heartbreak, pain and pleasure, grief and relief on our inevitable passage toward our final destination.

We sail down the river of no return with only one paddle, to steer us clear of all the obvious dangers and pitfalls of life. Because the river flows through and past all the obvious seductions and temptations life offers.

We need to set and hold onto a straight course. Bad companions and poor choices can divert and even destroy our fragile vessel before it reaches its intended destination.

We must navigate wisely or be terminated prematurely. We must steer our path as best we can if we don’t want to crash on the rocks of gloom and doom, loss and betrayal.

At times we feel out of control, helpless, and hopeless as the river meanders seemingly aimlessly, but we must try to steer a steady course towards our goal.

We all want to reach our own version of nirvana, with its promise of stillness and clarity, peace and relief, tranquility and bliss.

Even though we are all destined to start from the same place, we will all end up in slightly different destinations. They are chosen by us, they are lived by us, and we all have our own different ideals to reach and strive for.

Each bend of the river reveals a new vista of hope and promise, of fear and resignation. It is all up to us.

We need to pick and choose our paths wisely as we navigate the river.

Enjoy the bright colors and brilliant majesty of the beauty of life as we pass by them on the lifelong journey we all must travel.

We are all on a trip, an adventure, an experience that is slightly different for each of us. It is a never-ending odyssey of discovery and revelations, triumphs and tragedies, gains and losses, setbacks and achievements.

It is a journey of thrills and chills, lightness and darkness, of the peace and joy that we all seek.

Eventually, we will all inevitably end up at our final destinations, decided by the forks of the river and the directions we choose at each individual choice point in our lives.

Whatever values we hold true to in life will help us set our path. If we steer straight and true, believe in ourselves, and treasure the challenges and opportunities we will win out in the end.

If we remain true to our inner core values we will reach the safe harbor of our final destination. This will vary from one individual to the next.

Whether you believe in heaven and hell, reincarnation and rebirth, or a final certain end to all thoughts and feelings, we will all find out at the end of our journey.

It is up to each of us to decide our own fate and make the transition from here and now to then and when.

Only you can choose. The joy is in the journey, not the destination.

There are no shortcuts, there is no turning back. We are all connected…