THE MARYS RIVER OF MY YOUTH—ETERNALLY FLOWING

When I was a youth, you gave me Mother comfort from your calm waters. Roaming sacred land, I felt the river’s heartbeat. I found new meaning. Nature, animals, trees, habitats, waterways were my steadiness. The Marys River nurtured me, guided my steps. Nature spoke through me. Deep segments of life form us, reveal vocation. Given to, we give. The Earth supports us. Our care of Her cares for us. Will we choose wisely?   A story is a living memory, one that is part of our storehouse of spiritual treasures. In this specific instance, such a natural history archives a part of the biological wealth that once existed and adds to the collective wisdom and lessons that could well provide a vital foundation for upcoming generations who must sustain and consciously care for this exquisite Earth. I watched the river from dawn ’til dusk, from season to season, year to year, and found myself moving inward and evolving with it. The river, fluid in its motion and flexible in its moods, instructed me in the current of life that I might navigate it safely without undue resistance and thus without tiring. The river’s song informed me that I was a vital but momentary passing, like everything borne on its current, from birth to maturity to death to memory to birth again in some other form—an atom in a water lily, a catfish, or a tiger beetle. Its mixing of the two ingredients, silt and water, taught me that creation and extinction are no more than seemingly opposite sides of the same dynamic—change—that manifests itself through the irreversible novelty of eternal becoming. But, the most valuable lesson of all was that obstacles are temporary and can be transcended with patience, persistence, and the accrual of insight.   Chris Maser, from the Epilogue of The Marys River of My Youth: A Natural History of its Seen and Unseen Life   For more information about this book, visit Chris Maser’s website at www.chrismaser.com Scroll down on the homepage to find a list of his books. The second title is “The Marys River.” Click on that link to see the Table of Contents, the Foreward, and two endorsements. There is a link there for Amazon, if you would like to purchase the book. Other Spiritual Offerings: • One Small Nudge affects the Whole World (about the life journey     of Chris Maser) • Earth Day 2012 (includes a few quotes from Chris’ books) • Forests as Our Spiritual Inheritance (quoted from Chris’ classic     “The Redesigned Forest”) • The Essence Of Spiritual Ecology (about environmental mystics,     written by Chris) • The Planet Of Dyslexia (in part about Chris and generally about     the learning disorder of dyslexia, as well as the number of     famous people who have greatly struggled with dyslexia) • Sacred Rivers • The River of Grief • The River of Supply © Haiku poem, prose, and photo of Chris Maser © by Zane Maser, 2019. Epilogue quote © from “The Marys River of My Youth: A Natural History of Its Seen and Unseen Life. All 2009-2019 rights of Zane Maser and SunnyCat Astrology reserved worldwide. My editorial master and technological wizard is Chris Maser, my joyful husband.