The Power of Water
Because we primarily experience water as a yielding fluid, we tend to think of it as a ‘soft’ element. The world around us gives evidence otherwise. The landscape here at TwoTrees has been shaped over hundreds of thousands of years by the determined efforts of Town Fork Creek, a small drainage stream which directs surface water from the rugged slopes of the Saura Mountains into the Dan River. These ridges are comprised of dense folded layers of what was once an ancient sea bed, their quartz and sandstone compressed under intense heat and pressure. Tough stuff, indeed. And yet, as this metamorphic and igneous landscape was folded and pushed up by forces deep within our earth, flowing water carved it into the relief we see today.
The land at TwoTrees is comprised of a high sandstone bluff falling away in a 40 foot cliff to the ever-shifting waters of Town Fork Creek. On the opposite bank lies a wide belt of rich alluvial soil, the bottom land farmers love for its natural fertility. As the stream snakes back and forth, curving around intrusions of harder stone and driven by the water’s flow, one notices a pattern of steep cliffs or hillsides on outer part of each bend, with the flat alluvial beds deposited along the inside of the bend, where the water moves more slowly, allowing fine particles to settle out.
I have seen this little stream in flood and it is an impressive force. Today, I could walk through water ranging from ankle to knee depth, but after several days of heavy rain, its roaring, muddy torrent nearly crests the banks 8 feet above the creek bed. The trunks of fallen trees are launched like missiles, ripped from deep roots by the water’s force. Over time, such floods sliced through the bluff our cottage stands on and buried the remains of a Saura Indian village that once stood where these native people took advantage of the game, rich farmland and clean water.
As I consider the force of water, I recall the healing power of tears, whether shed in grief or laughter. I pray for my brothers and sisters, not only in foreign countries but in our very own nation, that lack access to the simple grace of clean water and know I am fortunate. I had the luxury of a quick shower, was able to brush my teeth, wash my dishes, water house plants and pets. What a blessing. Hail to the Spirit of Water!