We stare in amazement at the way you wrap yourself so tightly around the steep cliffs and then gradually turn and disappear into the distance… leaving only a glimmer of light. Your shadow on the hill and the sunlight on your surface draw us closer, draw us toward your beauty, and beckon our spirits to follow… to discover more.

You are wonderful-from your very first drop of water to the movement of your last current. In the north where your flow begins, it’s fresh and cold, and shallow. Traveling downstream is light and relaxing—picking up the seeds of who you will eventually be—the seeds that will sprout into sharp movements and strength, taking your time to gather experiences that will fill the places in your heart, always touching the lives of the ones you meet.

Now, sorrow is not your own... only knowing the shallows... just as the small creek that is becoming a great river, not yet deep or wide, and not yet full of all its fish. Your rocks, too, are small and few—until your water one day turns into a grand and glorious body, brimming with wisdom, full of the knowledge shared by all its tributaries.

Seeing your lower part… enriched with so much understanding, width, and depth, we barely recognize you. Abundant sources of food invite flocks of migrating birds from the northeast. They are safe and full, and a beautiful sight to behold. Finally, merging with the bay and ocean—in a relationship to last forever—appears easy, perfect and wonderful.

Always be who you are, great river—and be proud. Even though you sometimes flood, you are still magnificent. Do not weep or feel bad for who you are. Be the grandest most famous river in the region. When each fisherman, swimmer, and canoeist feels the joy in their unique relationship with her majesty river, they are sure to return. They will grow to admire the kind eddies you offer, the adventurous riffles, irresistible scenery, and your pristine waterway… one by one, enchanted… falling in love and under your spell.

[Lynn Guiser is a resident of Damascus, PA.]