The River Rico - A Symbolic Place
The River Rico, one of the area's longest rivers, flows through the backyard of my paternal grandparents' house. My earliest memories of this location are from my third-grade years. During breaks from school, my family and I made the trip from the city to the countryside to visit our grandparents. I was initially frightened by the location due to its valleys and waterfalls. They seemed dangerous; though swiftly I realized that there were no threats at all when I observed people, the children among them, swimming and playing all sorts of games in the valley. My father also loved this place more than the city we lived in. I always recognized this spark of love and even eagerness in him when summer holidays were near. At the beginning of June we hurried to the countryside immediately. At this point I can state that there is no more symbolic and meaningful place to me that the River Rico area.
A Place of Comfort and Harmony
However simple, this place is rather symbolic to me as it represents the unanimity and the perpetuity of everything in the universe. I used to go there and sit at the banks of the river when either happy or disappointed with life. There I used to calm down if speaking of unfortunate events or feel in at ease and in harmony with nature. I would just sit under the trees and listen to the soft sounds that the river makes; as if singing in various voices. The waterfalls always gave me some soothing and there was some sense of belonging. I always gazed into the water for long as it formed the ripples. These days, when I think about those times, images of my father come to my mind, namely those of us fishing or simply listening to some country music mixes at the river bank. I am sure these good memories would never leave me as long as I can go to that place and quietly sit there, staring into the deep waters of River Rico.
A Connection with Nature
Some days I miss the valley of my beloved River Rico, especially during the evening hours as the sun sets in the city. I imagine the attractive view the water and the sun would form and my mind flies away, closer to the sacred place. Moreover, some days I almost hear the singing of the river birds as they searched for food in groups near the water. On spotting this picture I always felt some sort of accord and unity with nature. The very fact of River Rico existence on Earth inspires me because there I get happiness, unity, eternity and reunion with my ancestors, especially the grandparents who lived right near that river.
