Annie Dillard in her Pulitzer Prize winning book “Pilgrim At Tinker Creek” reflects on this tendency of human beings to look backwards – she describes it as downstream – at all the things that have flowed away from us. Relationships – our youth – good health – so often we find ourselves gazing down the creek (so to speak) where so much of life has floated downstream.

But, says Annie Dillard, “There must be something wrong with a creekside person who, all things being equal, chooses to face downstream. It’s like fouling your own nest. …Tinker Creek doesn’t back up, pushed up its own craw, from the Roanoke River; it flows down, easing, from the northern unseen side of Tinker Mountain.”

Dillard observes that what is needed to heal our lives and memories is to dare to turn around and look upstream! Yes, some of life is always flowing away. That’s how life is – like the babbling waters of a brook. But turn around and you begin to see that more of life is always coming at you! You see, life – like a stream – is dynamic and not static. As some of it passes away from you and out of view, more of it is flowing your way. Turn around and look upstream! HERE IT COMES!…the future!