We have been under siege by water the past three weeks here at Serenity Cove. It has come in the form of rain, ice, hail, snow, and flood. I’ve quite a bit of time to think while doing chores about water. Yes, we are surrounded on three sides by water, but the shear amount of the element this month has been staggering, even to me.
Water is very much my element. I was born under the full moon in a time of year known for rain in many parts of the world. Like any body of water I’ve found my inner tides linked to the moving of oceans and great lakes. We often think of water in the liquid state in a glass or tub. It takes the form we give it. It moves gently.
But what happens when water shows up in an unexpected way?
Water showed up first on the farm in the form of ice. Hard. Solid. Heavy. We had cracked buckets. It was rigid and unyielding. It took a hammer and considerable time to free my vessels and take liquid water to my animals. It was also slick. I almost fell a number of times. We had to walk carefully. As I chipped and chipped at the ice my thoughts wandered to the mystical teachings I learned in Synagogue.
Water is considered to be a state of joy and happiness. IT’s a bit happy go lucky. Water is soft, but yet it can wear away rock. Definitely my element. But what happens when we become emotionally frozen? We become hard, heavy, rigid, and unyielding. I’ve experienced a few freezes in my lifetime. When I was frozen life chipped away at my core and left me even more bruised and fragile.
Our water also came in a torrent this week. It took down trees, cut us off from the outside world, and made our drinking water intolerable. There is a Majesty in the power of rushing water. The pounding and crushing is a sight to behold. Too often I have been like the swollen and angry creek destroying all in my wake. Emotions in strong force can destroy – be it happy or unhappy emotions. When we are carried away by our feelings we make rash decisions that have consequences.
As the weather has warmed our water in various states has began to evaporate. The miniture ponds and boggs are disappearing as water turns into its gasous state. How oftern have I allowed my emotions to be baked away by the heat of day into nothingness?
OUr springs and brooks are returning to their normal flow. Our systems are returning to their full operation. Things are getting back to an even keel. And water is a huge part of our success in running the farm just as emotions are a huge part of success in life. But, staying on the even keel is the challenge.
When we are too cold in our emotions we become a block to our own success. When we allow our emtions to control us we become yet another leaf carried around by them. When we are too hot, our internal guidance simply disappears. But, when we carry our emotions within boundaries, keeping them in a fluid state our emotions serve us instead of us serving our emtions.
I finally understand what my teacher meant – Life is Balancing Water.
Kind Fibers 