So many lessons can be learned from watching life on this Earth.
We can take lessons from Ants, Grasshoppers, Birds, Fish and all things great and small; even ourselves.
We can find lessons in the movement of water in taking the path of least resistance.
But in all this there is a rub.
Sometimes the lesson from one observation appears to be contrary to another. This would be the case of the Salmon. It would seem that swimming upstream would not be the best way to spawn, especially when the end result is the end of the spawning Salmon.
Looking deeper we see more to this.
What is it about struggling, as the Salmon does in it's journey to spawn, that we can learn from?
What is it that we can gain from "swimming upstream"?
I think that a lesson of this type is for each one of us to look inside for the answer.
May all your answers be a wondrous surprise!

The first time my life passed before me was amazing. It was a swirl of color, emotions and fragments in and out of the previous event of living.

In reflection, what was learned was instrumental in the further progress of living. The lesson was a flash of realization.

The realization was, what often makes the most impact on us and others is often those things we tend to think are of the least significance.

For instance; sometimes we simply acknowledge the presence of another or they recognize us. Simply put: presence with another.

Within that context what is clear, for me, is the importance of being conscious and "awake" as much as possible. What that means seems to be being aware of, and stepping out of "day dreaming", "thinking what I am going to say next" or "being self absorbed".

As time progressed it seemed, at first, a daunting task. The notion being, one must be completely present at all times. As time moved on it was apparent being present is not a one time accomplishment but rather a ongoing process of "exercising" awareness.

It still appears to me few of us can be present completely, all the time.
What I learned I can do is to treat presence the way I treat any of my daily functions; something to work on it moment to moment, daily.

Do I forget and lapse into daydreaming? yes.
Do I only think of myself and my own needs from time to time? yes.
Simply put, it is something to do today and not tomorrow or yesterday.
Tomorrow is the future; yesterday is the past...today is what we have.
Now is what we live in and present is where we are best to live.
Live today.
Reflections on the Water of Life are only on the surface.

A thousand years ago humans like us were pushing stones around. We would get bags of salt for our work. We would trade salt for other commodities. In the day?

On this living jewel sparkling of blues, greens, browns, whites, reds, and yellows, we live.
In life there is the music of the living world.
Like the earliest flute that took itself to copy the birds, let the music come from our experience to the experience of others.
As we grew on this jewel many felt it was not enough to have the language of music so they added words. Many listen to the music and ignore the words except as another instrument of sound.
Some listen to the words to find connection.
Some words and music become one to unify the struggle or joy of living together. The work song the Gandy Dancer sings or the Gospel rejoice.

In the darkness of humanity the slave sings the song of pain.
In the light of humanity the slave sings the song of freedom.
Fear is the song of the enslaver, Love is song of the emancipator.

The clouds are crying. Our jewel, our home, our lovely planet, is crying. We are our planet. We are of it, we are the minerals, the water, the air, the song of this jewel Earth.
With our love, compassion and respect for our jewel, we respect ourselves, our loved ones, and each other.

Let the song of our hearts forge our spirit to help elevate us all out of darkness and into light.
We polish the jewel we are and we bring joy to ourselves and others.
May every breathe you take bring you strength and compassion.