Gently Down the Stream

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

I don't know why, but I woke up this morning singing this little childhood round. As I wondered why I might be singing "Row, row, row your boat" over and over again in my head, I looked at the words, and they held new meaning.

The first thing I noticed was "life is but a dream." I recall a quotation from The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz, who writes: "The dream you are living is your creation. It is your perception of reality that you can change at any time. You have the power to create hell, and you have the power to create heaven."

This feels true to me. My view of the events in my life changes by the way I think about them. Is this new development a setback or a gift? Is this person really an adversary or an invitation to look with different eyes? Do I invent my life as I go along, dreaming up each moment with my thoughts, words and actions? It seems so.

Which is why I will pay more attention to how I row my boat. I could be more gentle with my self and my fellow travelers, also rowing as best they can.

As we begin this new year, with new hope in our hearts, may we all row gently and powerfully down life's stream.

Good ki!
Judy Ringer