Down by the riverside

There is an old gospel hymn, "Down by the Riverside," I used to hear when I went to church.

 

Gonna lay down my sword and shield

Down by the riverside

Down by the riverside

Down by the riverside

 

I have no sword or shield, but I'm gonna lay down by the riverside. I saw this article, and loved the imagery of the river. I grew up on a peninsula, and loved seeing the water and imagining having a house overlooking the water.

 

I've talked a bunch about being, feeling like a river. Strong currents flowing freely. Now, even as I flow, even as I am the water, I sit bankside and watch myself flow. I see whitecaps, some flotsam, a sailboat drifting by. Yes, the currents are strong, but they are gentle and smooth, too. I watch myself, trying to become the best I can be. I watch myself spill over the banks. I watch the warmth of the water wash over me. I know what I want my river, my water, to do for someone. My water will always flow. My water, my banks, are always welcoming.

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In the article, the author describes meditation as "an open-ended process of pondering, a free-wheeling contemplation." I guess this means I am in near-constant meditation. I try not to expect anything from my meditation. I stand (or sit) where I am and just be.