Throughout their lives, Lottie and Becca find strength and comfort at the river. Why do you suppose this is? Is there a place that offers you something similarly meaningful?
Moving water has a soothing effect and allows one to take some time to just clear one’s mind. I didn’t grow up near rivers, instead I grew up on various islands in the oceans.Oceans hold mighty strength, produce rhythmic waves, support life while also being fierce, frightening and destructively powerful. I draw the same comfort and strength just walking or sitting along the ocean’s edge. I find my breathe begins to synchronize with the oceans breath, the salty, fishy smell of an ocean brings me comfort and clarity of mind. Some of my biggest and most impactful decisions have been made after sitting for hours and watching the ocean. It’s easy for me to relate to this ability to draw strength and comfor from a body of water.
Susan your answer is wonderful. I agree with you. My oldest sister lived with the view of the Sound in Seattle. She loved living in her Victorian being upstairs looking out at the water. She told me she could never live elsewhere. Sorry to say I really have no where like this. However I do enjoy walking our trail along the Columbia River. So h’mm maybe this would be my place??
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I agree that bodies of water have a way of bringing feelings of strength and comfort. I live not far from a park on Lake Michigan. I love walking there and absorbing the sounds and feelings of the water. And wherever I go where there is water, I seem to find that. Whether it is a river, a lake, or an ocean, I enjoy being near it and find a feeling of peace. I spend time near the ocean in Florida each year with two of my sisters and love the comforting feelings the ocean brings me.
We are in FL right now, across the street from the Gulf and I love the sounds too. I can never understand why people walking on the beach wear earbuds when they could be listening to the water!
Water, either by the ocean or on the banks of a river or lake, brings many of us peace. I also find strength and comfort whenever I able to sit and enjoy a moment or two of simply staring at it while listening to its peacefulness. I so love early mornings along Lake Chelan in Washington. I alway feel renewed after having spent time there. I truly understood Lottie and Becca’s comfort at the river. I found myself sitting next to them, reflecting about life.
I live one block from a river and go there whenever I need peace. The current helps me imagine stresses and troubles passing me by and life coming to me in new and exciting ways. I always feel calmer after sitting or walking along its shores. I imagine Lottie found peace by a river that reminded her of home and her deep connection to nature–a connection she passed to Becca. I also think the river was a metaphor for connection. Every major location in the book sat beside a river, except for where Mildred lived. She was inland, disconnected from the rest and desperate to take what she no longer had.
I certainly understand the desire and comfort of being near water and in nature in general. This may be strange to others, but I get comfort from just walking in my local library or bookstore, it lets me recenter. There are always new things for me to discover. I also know that whatever I am thinking about, there is an answer. Somewhere in one of the countless books there, someone has had a similar concern. Seeing, touching and browsing through the stakes lets me pull my mind in a different direction, so that I walk away with a new positivity. I am refreshed and able to reexamine my thoughts in a calm and productive approach.
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Doesn’t aspects of nature give us comfort today? Aren’t we encouraged to go outside and immerse ourselves in nature. What a relief it is to observe something like a river’s ebb and flow to relax and realize it is bigger than ourselves. I like the concept of being in the forest, listening to bird song, watching the effects of breeze on leaves, feeling the sun on my face…
I found it interesting to read the previous replies. At first I didn’t’ relate to the impact that rivers and oceans had on folks. I do always enjoy being by water whether it is a lake, ocean, or river.as I was reflecting I remember some of my best decisions were made floating on a raft in a pool.
The river is a constant, supports life, and reminds one of how big the world is. Personally, I love the ocean.