The Rock that Lay in the River — Summary

messagetolContemplative

Remember the times Where you were young, And everything had some importance Even the trivial things. Imagine that rock You placed in the river, Around the time When you went everywhere. Remember how big It was to you. It was as big As the large bouncy ball You would wrap your arms Around when caught. You told everyone That NO ONE could EVER move that rock. You went around the neighborhood Telling everyone the message And showing them a picture, So they would know which one. No one could stop you. That rock was important And a big influence On your life. As you grew older, The rock grew smaller. It was still loved And important to you, But it grew less and less Enforced. It slowly becomes less of an influence on you. Which is still good. You grew older, But it was always there. It grew smaller and smaller Until its time has come To be free with other particles. It might be with the ocean Or in a lake, Ultimately a better place. It will always be loved And cherished, Remembered And spoken about. It will be with you Until the time it goes. Everything has a time to leave, Because something new needs to arise.

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The speaker asks us to remember a rock we once placed in a river as a child. Back then it felt enormous, as big as a bouncy ball we could barely wrap our arms around, and we guarded it fiercely, telling the whole neighborhood that no one could ever move it. The rock stands for the things that seem huge when we're young: a favorite place, a belief, a small project that mattered more than anything.

As we grow, the rock seems to shrink, and its hold on us loosens. The speaker doesn't treat this as sad, though. They say it's "still good," and imagine the rock wearing away until it joins the ocean or a lake, "ultimately a better place." The tone is gentle, nostalgic and calm. The ending offers a quiet comfort: the rock will still be loved and remembered, and letting go is natural, because "something new needs to arise."

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