the spirit of the river

It is said a cat has three names. One name it is given. One name it becomes known by, but one name is known only to itself.

It is said a Samurai has three hearts. One heart he shows to the world, one heart to his family, but one heart is known only to himself. 

So it is with the river. To discover the true name of the river is the work of a lifetime. You may see the kingfisher that flashes by and the minnows scattering around your boots. You may listen to the music of the riffle and feel the cool air over the rocks. You may hold in your hand, briefly, the wild beating heart of nature then let her slip quietly back.  

You may begin to suspect that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Scientists call this 'ecology'. But this is the description of a measurable system of components and their interactions. It speaks not of the spirit of the river. Only the emotional self has a language for that. 

The spirit exists not without but within. It is within all things of the river and those of us with open hearts can feel its influence. It is up to us to honour the river and protect it from the many challenges our species has created. We all have choices in how we live our lives and the footprints we leave, however small. After all, tiny raindrops brought life to the valley and gave rise to civilisation. Everything we have we owe.