Bedrock's Feelings - Nature Says It's Natural
One can easily fall in love when they see a waterfall. I also find immense joy whenever I visit one. The scenic beauty and the refreshment it brings are experiences that cannot be described in words. The pristine nature there speaks to us in ways we often do not notice. Do you hear what nature says to you? I can hear many conversations around me. One day, as I stood near the waterfall, I heard two kinds of sounds. One was the waterfall speaking to all those enjoying its beauty, while the other was very faint, almost a whisper: "Visit me after dawn. Is the bedrock speaking? The stable rock that turns water into a waterfall?" The bedrock seemed to say, "I am the one who creates this waterfall. I am the reason."
Bedrock's Feelings - Even Rocks Have Feelings! As soon as I heard the voice of the bedrock, I asked, "What do you mean? I do not understand..." For the first time, the bedrock felt recognized. Suddenly, the water's flow seemed precarious, almost ambiguous, as if the amount of water had increased unexpectedly (perhaps due to a nearby dam?). I began to suspect that these were the tears of the bedrock, tears of happiness. How does someone respond to this voice? What had happened? And why was the bedrock so sad? The bedrock spoke again: "I have been maintaining this waterfall for years, but people only admire the beauty I create. No one understands my role in forming this scenic wonder. No one mentions how I help generate power through the waterfall. My friend, the river, never says anything about me. She constantly praises herself, loudly boasting about her beauty and her benefits. She calls people to come and admire her waterfall." The bedrock continued: "People never hear my voice. I formed the river, I created this waterfall. Without me, none of this would have happened. I wonder if the same happens to people around us."
Bedrock Inside You We all have a bedrock inside us. What are you? What is your impression in society? What do people say about you? When you achieve something, people appreciate you. But are you the sole reason for your success? Everyone has a bedrock inside them. Just as a bedrock lends its beauty and utility to a river, there are people and circumstances that help us accomplish things. Those people and situations, which once shaped us, are often our bedrocks. In a simple example, our parents, friends, teachers, and life experiences play the role of our bedrocks. When we succeed, our parents and friends take pride in our achievements. Yet, when others succeed, do they recognize the bedrocks that helped them?
Does the Bedrock Have Feelings? When you achieve success and take credit for it, forgetting the bedrock elements that contributed to your achievement, it’s easy to think that the bedrock has no feelings. But in reality, the bedrock, like anyone else, may feel neglected or hurt. When success is celebrated, we should not ignore or hurt the bedrock that helped us get there. But when things don’t go well, people often blame the bedrock first. "Had the bedrock not been there, I would have succeeded!" This is when the bedrock feels the pain of neglect.
For the Bedrock, To the River The river gets all the credit. After a moment, I snapped out of my thoughts. Still, the river was loudly boasting about her beauty, claiming all the glory for herself to the tourists. I stopped and asked the river, "Why do you praise yourself so much for your beauty and benefits when you’re not solely responsible for your greatness?" It was the first time a tourist had spoken to her like this. The river paused and realized I was talking about the bedrock that helped her perform the way she does. The river thought for a while and responded, "Unlike humans, I never blame the bedrock when the water level is low. In summer, my beauty fades, and fewer people come to see me. During those difficult times, I never blame the bedrock." Hearing this, the bedrock smiled and said, "Dear, no matter whether the water is high or low, I am always with you. During summer, when river is not creating the scenic beauty of waterfall, I shine through her and make her looks better ".
Nature is Teaching Us Something Finally, I realized that nature was trying to communicate something important through me. It teaches us to never be egoistic when we succeed, and to always give credit to our bedrocks—the people who helped us along the way. There is no injustice or ego in nature. Nature teaches us that teamwork is essential, just like it maintains its beauty during both good (rainy) and bad (summer) seasons. How many of us truly practice this? Let us follow the principles of the God, as shown through nature. Do your job, never ever desire for the results.