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The Journey of the Stream (Sufi)

11/5/2022

3 Comments

 
Picture
There was once a stream that came to life in the highest of the high mountains, moving through dense forests, wide plains, and deep valleys until it came to a huge desert. No matter how hard the stream tried to pass through the desert, its waters always evaporated beneath the hot sands.
The stream was afraid it would disappear if it did not find a way to cross the desert yet was soon exhausted by its futile efforts. While the stream was resting, a voice whispered, “The wind crosses the desert and so can you.”
​

“How?” asked the stream. “I am not like the wind. I cannot fly. I make my way along and under the ground.”

“This is true,” said the voice. “But the wind can help you cross if you are willing.”
“How? I am water, not wind,” protested the stream.

“Let the wind carry you over the desert. Allow yourself to be absorbed by the wind. If you continue as you have, you will disappear forever,” answered the voice.

The stream did not like this idea. It had always been its own master. It did not want to change into something else, not even for a short time. How could the stream be sure it would find itself again, once it had traversed the desert, carried by the wind.

The stream did not believe the voice. It kept trying to cross the desert and continued to disappear. The voice whispered again, “Do not be afraid. You will once again become a stream if you let the wind carry you across the desert.”

Too tired to keep fighting the sand, the stream, which was now just a trickle, sadly agreed to be absorbed by the wind. Gently the wind cradled the stream across the desert, onto the top of a very high mountain where, as raindrops, it fell softly onto the welcoming ground and transformed itself once again into a swiftly flowing stream.
3 Comments
judie link
11/4/2022 08:23:12 pm

this is a mesmerizing story. not sure it's "meaning" can be summed up in a few words. that's what makes it intriguing.

Reply
Marlene Simon
11/5/2022 01:46:48 pm

I love the theme for this month. Taking risks, having faith that all will be OK, and letting go. Thanks again for your thoughtful pieces. I always learn something valuable from your stories. I'm also a lot calmer by the end!

Reply
Claudia Reder
11/7/2022 09:47:44 am

This was the story I needed to hear and didn't know I needed it.
My interpretation is that the stream needs to trust the voice- the wind-- and keep moving. The voice could be her instinct, her true self, her consciousness.

Thank you.

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Nancy King is a widely published author and a professor emerita at the University of Delaware, where she has taught theater, drama, playwriting, creative writing, and multidisciplinary studies with an emphasis on world literature. She has published seven previous works of nonfiction and five novels. Her new memoir, Breaking the Silence, explores the power of stories in healing from trauma and abuse. Her career has emphasized the use of her own experience in being silenced to encourage students to find their voices and to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with authenticity, as a way to add meaning to their lives.

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