How the River taught the Rock, to Let Go
A short story about impermanence and eternal love
When the river met the rock, it was love at first touch. The cool blue icy river romanced the big sturdy rock for what seemed like an eternity. With perfectly complementary personalities, their joint universe was complete, whole and joyful.
Soon, the river started drying up.
The lives of the river and the rock were so inextricably woven together at this point that it was nearly impossible to even imagine life without the other.
One day, the dreaded happened. The river bed completely dried up.
The rock was overcome with unexplainable grief. No more soothing, calming water around. It’s long-term companion had left, for good. Memories of happy times together with the river shrouded the rock with grief and longing.
Many seasons passed and the years rolled by, but the rock was still grieving.
One day, a passerby saw the rock and was in complete awe of the gorgeous colour gradations and patterns of erosion lines on it. It was then that the rock noticed the beautiful lines of love that the river had left on its being. And in that instant, everything changed.
The rock realised that the river had never really left. It could feel the presence of the river in each colourful line on its being. The river has and will always be a part of the rock. No longer, lovers of separate entities but forever merged together.
The rock finally let go.
