The Water

This time of year, I am often reminded of the draw of water. For all the years I have been married, we have always found our way to the edge of the water come vacation. Sometimes fresh, sometimes salt, sometimes a sandy beach, sometimes a pine forest lakeside, and sometimes a spring-fed mountain stream holding trout. I find I sleep better, my blood pressure drops, the day-to-day challenges take a break, and I renew.

It is not lost on me that in my tradition, baptism, the emersion of one in the water, also restores and renews the soul. I have to think that renewal draws us to the shore or streamside. In my youth, I often fell asleep listening to a brook that ran not far from my bedroom window. It is something primal in our DNA.

The emersion in water also reminds me of the covenant of water we reread and speak when a newborn is baptized. Will you respect the dignity of every human being? Will you love your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace? And we answer, “We will!”

So once again, we come to the edge of the water. This time for the first time, as retired. Tomorrow, as I dive in the waves, with the gift of free time and the water covering me, I will think about renewal and what is ahead, excited about my options. Knowing it is time to answer a new call.

I will listen to the water, but the answer still will be “We will.”