Communion

With long practice, Anne placed another fresh grasshopper on the barbed #8 hook. With ease, she cast out into the rapid current of the river. She watched as the current pulled her line toward the calmer backwater. Just as her line started to sink, she reeled slowly, and again, her line was hit. She kept reeling only flinching a little. But now, her heart was beating steadily harder and she knew she had one smart fish feeding off her line. It was only a matter of time. She grinned with her determination.

The hook, again was bare. Okay, time for a different tactic. Her Grandma taught her this trick. Once the grasshopper covered the hook, Anne took a piece of dental floss and tied it snug around the insect on the snailed upper portion of the hook.

"Lets see you you strip this one, aye?"

Anne started to cast out, but she looked up to where Louise was working a bent pole. Anne hesitated and watched as her friend landed the first catch. As Louise held up her small catch Anne waved and acknowledged she had caught the first one for the day. Louise released the fish, as it was not of legal size. But it didn't matter the thrill was still there and sometimes the smaller ones were the most fun.

Once again, Anne cast out into the rapid current. And again, just as she started to reel in she felt the sudden quick jerk of her line. She stopped reeling, and again her line was hit in a rapid series of one, two, three. But nothing solid. This was one experienced fish. This one had been around.

And the hook was stripped.

Anne sat for a few minutes with the bare hook held between her fingers and closed her eyes and smiled.

"God! this feels good."

The roaring sound of the river surrounded her. The afternoon sun was hot upon her face. She basked in her moment of calm, the closest thing to joy she had felt in a very long time. Then she was crying; overwhelmed by the intensity of her emotion.

Anne opened her eyes with a deep sigh. The feeling was brief, but what a gift.

"Thank-you God. I love you too."

No sarcasm in the words. Anne was serious and in awe of the miracle of peace that fishing gave her. It removed her from her hurts even for a brief instant and it showed her the promise of internal peace, what could be, if she just kept plugging along.

The proverbial carrot, it could be called. But, in that brief moment of her life, Anne had communion and she knew she would be okay.

455 words

http://www.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/6386
Spiritual: June 18, 2014 Issue [#6386]
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