With time I stopped seeing this as a normal nursery rhyme…. *RIP Otunba Adeleye Isreal Akintola*
Row row row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is just a dream.
2011 I can’t forget….
My daughter (Elise) and her sing-along toy box, with joy and passion I joined her to sing it. We sang it for a long time. Afterwards as she slept off, my normal bursts of thoughts (mostly worries) came and the song was ringing in my head.
I came to understand what I saw was an insight that till date helps me in basically everything I do.
“Row row row your boat”
Row signifies moving. The boat signifies yourself. You need to keep moving, do things, take risks. Because staying in the boat alone is a risk but are you going to be stagnant about it and allow life push you anywhere or you’re going to row it yourself?
An important part is “gently down the stream”.
When you move gently, you enjoy the beautiful things life (the stream) has to offer. The view, the breeze, you’re at peace. Taking it one step at a time. No hurries, no rush. Just you gaining experiences. While moving, there are insects, harsh conditions, hunger, thirst, bad weather. But still you move “merrily merrily merrily merrily…”
No matter what life throws, we still gotta be happy because we know with time, it’ll pay. Happily making experiences count!
The final part. “Life is just a dream”
Why did this strike me too hard? Because just as a boat journey can end, life can end in a blink of an eye (just like a dream). Everything is gone, the whole stream is behind.
What legacy did you leave while in the stream? Did you make it better for others that’ll pass in the future? Did you make the best out of everything thrown at you?
I don’t know who’s reading this or if this even makes sense to anyone but this keeps me going.
I’ve been reflecting on my life maybe because…..I pray some positive life changing occurrence manifests soon, with God, all things are possible.
Gbólóhùn kan lè ba ọ̀rọ̀ jẹ́, gbólóhùn kan náà lè tún ọ̀rọ̀ ṣe. /
One sentence can mess up a discussion and one sentence can make it better.
[Words have consequences; use them wisely.]
RIP Otunba Adeleye Isreal Akintola
Bless you all.
