The Depth of Life

Do you know what stirs beneath the currents of a desert waterhole? Do you know what lies beneath the layers of another’s life? We only see what is presented to us. Deception and snags, joy and mirth, can all linger in the deep recesses of someone else’s experience.

The depth of life can be a hard thing to deal with. Where there is no sunlight, just the murkiness of the tide is often a difficult place to be. The weight of the water presses down on us, and daylight seems so far away. And yet, when we are so far away from the surface that we can’t breathe, we learn to swim with an urgency that enables us to survive.

Deep waters in Central Australia (photo credit: Suzanne Visser)

Waterholes are a thing of beauty. Overarching gums and rocks, the diamond sky overhead, and the shouts and laughter of people swimming. But still, it pays to be wise. Check the water before you plunge into it. Find out where the rocks are.

The depth of life belongs to all of us. For some, the distance to travel is longer. Many people cannot swim at all. Some only explore where their feet can touch the sand. But all of us can watch the water in some form or another. Water can cleanse; water can drown. But we cannot live without it.