How quickly the steady flow of the River Time adds up. It does not rush, and yet days soon become weeks and weeks become months, then they are years, and then you are old and looking back, asking yourself if you have done anything worth remembering? If you have been intentional in your living, and if you have pursued wisdom, then it is likely you have left a path for others to follow. Only the foolish know the sting of death, the regrets of a wasted life.
Yinney’s first week in his 7th Day Tree had passed. On the 7th day he made a dangerous trip to the ground to do his poo. His poo would fertilize his sacred tree. His tree would be as a pebble dropped in a pool of water, with ripples going forth to affect all those around him. His trip to poo had gone safely, and that was yesterday and now it was today.
Lu-Lu had returned for more teaching and Yinney was happy to do so. He was almost always available. He could teach at any time no matter what he was doing. If he was doing something, then that something became a part of the sharing and the teaching. But today he was free to simply teach, and Lu-Lu had brought her long-time friend, Me-Me!
Me-Me was another Macaw of the same type as Lu-Lu. But Me-Me was more laid-back, quiet, and reserved than her friend. They say opposites attract. Perhaps they counter balance. The Yin and Yang. Even as the Apostles Peter and John seemed to counter balance each other.
So after spending a little time getting to know Me-Me, Yinney had easily flowed into the beginning of his teaching, his favorite subject, the Beauty of Slow.
“When I speak of the ‘slow flow’,” he began, “I’m speaking of a soul at peace, at rest, content and fulfilled at the same time. This soul is still reaching for the next thing, and open for whatever may come, very adaptable, able to flow like water, a master soul who has learned to enjoy right where he is in his journey, while still filled with the vision of a destination. He has arrived while still arriving, and he has reached while still reaching.”
Lu-Lu looked at Me-Me and asked, “Do you have any idea what he is talking about?”
“Oh yes,” Me-Me acknowledged, “but I’ve never heard it described this way. It paints a beautiful picture in my heart.”
Lu-Lu stared at Me-Me as she said, “I knew you two would be perfect for each other. I’m taking notes, and maybe you can help me understand later? I wrote down that I should arrive without arriving. Sort of like I’m here but I’m not really here. So where am I? Does that sound right?”
Yinney sat smiling as usual, but Me-Me burst out in laughter. “I love you, Lu-Lu. We are best of friends, and you always find a way to make me laugh. We will enjoy some hot nectar from the flowers and discuss the beauty of what Yinney is saying.”
Yinney continued, “The peaceful river enjoys the journey. It is not ate up with desire for the destination, even though it is still progressing towards that worthy goal. A river with rapids is a dangerous place. Rapids are full of rocks ready to break your vessel and send you uncontrollably down stream, and fighting to keep your head above water. But the master soul, one who is trained in the ways of Spirit and faith, lives the peaceful way.”
“Those whom we would call of a predator nature struggle to find contentment. This is because they do not understand how it is possessed. Predators only know to hunt, to chase, to pursue, to pounce, to attack, overcome, defeat, make it their own by conquering. But such methods only push contentment farther away. It is not captured. It can never be captured. It can only be slowly embraced. The beauty of slow. Contentment is attained by way of the peaceful slow embrace, not a hungry hunt, chase, and pounce. This is why the predator ways will never be a part of this Fellowship, and we must learn to truly love life, and do no harm.”
Yinney watched the two friends finishing up their notes, and then he noticed Me-Me seemed to be pondering something. Finally she slowly raised the tip of her rich blue wing asking to speak.
“Go ahead, Me-Me,” Yinney said.
“Well, I was just thinking, and could we come up with a name for this Fellowship? I think it would be great fun to have a name that befits our purpose,” then she lowered her wing and waited Yinney’s answer.
“I would love that,” he said. “You two work on it and let me know what you come up with.”
Not much later Lu-Lu and Me-Me flew away with great excitement over their new project of coming up with a Fellowship name, and Yinney took a nap.
Path Without End 