The Lessons at the River, Francis Morean

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Between Francis Morean and You

cheers

Francis Morean June 11 at 7:35pm  

The day is still young. 

 

and I would like to pay you another compliment. I think you have grown a lot. A whole lot. Very often when I compliment women they accuse me of flattery when in fact I mean exactly what I mean. 

 

  

It turned out to be not much of an adventure but I need to thank you for coming/going nevertheless. My feet feel much happier for having been immersed in the river. 

 

At least one of the questions that you asked me has been answered in the paper that was used to wrap your bottle of wine. 

 

  

THese are just random notes that am sending you but I would like to chat a bit about the river now. 

 

 

Sometimes on evening I would go down by the river and scatter bits of bread or rice or corn meal for the fishes. Whenever I do it am reminded of my grandmother who was the earliest mentor and hero in my life and who I credit in many ways with being my first teacher in herbal remedies. 

 

One of her principal philosophical positions was that one should "Cast your bread upon the waters"

By this she meant that no matter how little one has one can and should still give. She gave. The river flows and it just gives. It does not discriminate as to who should receive. Sometimes women may have babies and their breasts do not give milk. In the majority of instances it is not a physiological disorder. It is an absence of giving.

In Tobago I have heard stories of old African women in their seventies and older whose daughters lost their lives and who had to then take their of their grandchildren. These elders would go to the sea or to the river and they comb their breasts and speak to the flowing water and the milk in their breasts would begin to flow again so that they can nurse their grandchildren.

Now this may sound sexist but a lot of women suffer a very of sicknesses due to their unwillingness to give or their belief that whatever they give has to be given with a price. They give conditionally or they hold back from their sisters, their husbands, their charges and from the society of which they are part. Very often they replace a spirit of giving with a salary which can provide for their physical well-being but which can never really fulfill the other needs in their life.

They can learn a lot by just sitting by the river, in whatever state the river may be, whether clean or polluted, and learn many lessons.