Rivers | Matures

It had grown broad and deep, its waters moving with a deliberate, heavy grace. No longer did it try to smash through the earth. Instead, it had learned the art of compromise, gracefully winding and meandering across the landscape in vast, sweeping loops. It carved gentle U-shaped valleys and deposited rich, golden silt along its widening floodplains.

Leo nodded, finally understanding. He leaned back against the roots of a bowing willow tree and watched the mature river roll patiently toward the distant, waiting sea. Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story matures rivers

Silas smiled, his eyes reflecting the calm, glassy surface of the water. "That's because the river is grown up here, Leo. When it was up in the mountains, it was young and impatient. It wanted to get to the sea as fast as it could, so it fought everything in its way. It didn't have time to carry anything or help anyone." "And now?" Leo asked. It had grown broad and deep, its waters

The river was no longer the wild, crashing youth it had once been high in the jagged peaks. Back then, it was all fury and foam, cutting a sharp, angry V-shaped valley into the cold stone. It had rushed headlong without looking back, tossing boulders aside like pebbles. It carved gentle U-shaped valleys and deposited rich,

On its banks sat an old fisherman named Silas. He had watched the river for seventy years, and he often thought the river looked exactly how he felt.

"The river learned that you don't have to destroy the banks to travel through the valley," Silas added softly. "Sometimes, the best way to move forward is to simply go around, leave a little bit of yourself behind to help things grow, and enjoy the wide open view."

Leo looked at the water. He watched a massive, slow-moving eddy gently spin a fallen leaf before sending it on its way down the meander. It didn't look weak; it looked immensely powerful, like a giant taking a slow, steady stride.