It’s the last time that I'll be with my friend of 51 years. She is calming me now, as she has my entire life, expecting nothing in return. Sitting on a rock, listening to her lapping as she gently covers the river rock on this late October afternoon. Leaves are changing, grasses are browning, a sun spot glistens on her surface revealing the beauty beneath. A flock of 30 ducks flew over, a few seagulls glided by and one dove in for a fish. A lone osprey put on a show for my eyes only. A man walking a German Shepherd walked by on the road behind me and he let me be. Of course, I knew why the GSD was the only being I’ve seen on the road behind me since I sat my weary body down….. So serene. So peaceful. Just me and the Potomac. Oh, how I will miss you, my dear friend. How will I ever survive without knowing when I will see you again, if ever? My one true constant. The cool Fall air is prominent today but so is Grandmother Sun gently warning my back like the comforting blanket I miss the most. I don’t want to get up and leave. I dread never physically being here again. I hope he can forgive me. I hope they can too. I'm so grateful for the memories that they have forever carved into my heart.
Written on Oct 27 345pm, sitting on the rocks of the Potomac River where Beach Ave and 8th St meet in Colonial Beach, VA
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I love cozy, sweet, small towns on the water. I grew up on one in the summers of my childhood and early adult life. The charm of a small town is something I’ve always gravitated toward and I always imagined the two of us living in one. We will one day but not this one. This was their love. This was his dream. My family history here goes back to the early 1900s and my fondest memories in life are centered around this town and my people who filled it. I always thought and hoped I’d be here forever but my people are gone and so is the charm. Every single corner of this town holds a vivid memory for me that will always live with me.
I fell in love here…three times. But the one that is still eduring after 51 years is my first and best love …..the Potomac River. When everyone else deserted me, when no one else understood me….she did. When I felt alone in the world, she reminded me I wasn’t. When I needed calm and peace, she always provided without hesitation. Consistent and always providing comfort and inspiration, she remains steadfast mine.
