First River Reflection

As I sit by the Trinity River, I remember back to my time working with LEAPS. LEAPS is a community outreach program that TCU sponsors. There are two events every year, one per semester. Before each event, you get to pick the area that interests you the most. They usually have around 10-12 activities, ranging from volunteering at a school to picking up trash. Last year, I decided to plant trees along the Trinity River.

Waking up at 7 AM on a Saturday is no easy task. With long, busy weeks full of exams and papers, signing up to plant trees on a Saturday morning did not sound very appealing. My entire lab had decided to participate in this activity, so I felt like I should contribute as well. Once we arrived in the commons, we were placed in our respective buses to go to our sites. We drove around for 45 minutes, hopelessly lost. Our guide had no idea where we were supposed to be. This did little to ease the morning grogginess. We finally arrived at our site, and one of the park workers taught us how to plant trees. All of us paired up, picked up our tools, and got to work.

Initial reluctance to waking up early on a Saturday turned into enjoyment with each tree planted. I felt alert and awake. My mind felt clear. The sun had just rose, painting its light across the park. The air felt clean and wasn't too hot. It was a perfect morning.

Planting the trees reminded me of growing up back home. My dad and I would often wake up on weekend morning and work on the lawn. He would teach me how to use all the various tools. We would dig up old trees and plant new flowers. As I got older, I was allowed to use the power tools such as the lawn mower or hedge trimmers. I'm sure my dad was a lot happier than I was when I could finally mow the lawn. After we finished our work, we always got to jump in the pool. I will forever remember those mornings. I honestly believed this is what contributed to my enjoyment of the Trinity River tree planting. It brought me back to careless mornings with my dad.

With a stressful week behind me, this river reflection was just what I needed. It gave me time to recollect my thoughts and prepare for the upcoming week. Although I found it kind of strange initially, I am glad I spent the quiet time just looking at the river. I can not wait until my next river reflection.