...As the heat mirages on the river in front of me danced with and through each other, I could feel patterns from my own life joining with them. It was here that I started this story, although, of course, at the time I did not know that stories of life are often more like rivers than books. But I knew that a story had begun, perhaps long ago near the sound of water.
Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs*.
I am haunted by waters. (Norman Maclean - A River Runs Through It)
*the word "theirs" refers to dead loved ones of the author.
We all have rivers, rocks, and words beneath the rocks that we should and need to listen to. Those words don't necessarily have to come from a family member. They can also come from someone who loves us or is loved by us. Nor does that person have to be dead - they can still be breathing and walking the planet. The important thing is to listen and pay attention to "the words under the rocks" for it is there that we sometimes get the most insight from and about those we love and are loved by.
