Creeks split and rejoin, just as people come and go in our lives.

Is it timing, fate, or destiny that determines when, how, and why they accompany us? Some journeys are sweet and fleeting, like the taste of honeydew, while others are struggles that test our resilience in the dark.

Life gives rise to these spectacular moments and encounters, governed by a mysterious confluence of timing and circumstance. As I gaze into the watercourse, I wonder: How do small creeks merge to form mighty rivers? When do powerful rivers split into veins and tributaries?

The answers lie in a delicate balance of variables—flow velocity, position, water quality, sediment load, and countless other factors. These forces shape how and when streams converge or diverge. Similarly, in life, we navigate a web of relationships, molded by circumstances and choices. Networking thrives in densely connected environments like schools, workplaces, or bustling cities. Yet, paths inevitably diverge due to life changes—moving, graduation, career shifts, or family commitments.

We often accept these changes passively, calling it “fate.” But upon reflection, even the most unexpected turns in life are the cumulative results of countless prior decisions. What feels like randomness is often the outcome of long-term patterns and variables we set in motion, consciously or unconsciously.

Even so, we cannot rewrite the past. If time could rewind, we would still make the same decisions, guided by the information available to us then. Without new insights or perspectives, the same paths would stretch before us, leading to the same destinations.

This isn’t predestination in the traditional sense—it’s the inevitability of choice shaped by context. And yet, this realization is not a cause for despair but for hope. Every step we’ve taken, every stream we’ve crossed, has brought us here. We hold the power to shape the future with the choices we make today.

The river of life will continue to flow, carrying us toward new connections, opportunities, and possibilities. By embracing change and trusting the process, we can forge ahead with optimism, knowing that each twist and turn contributes to the larger story of who we are becoming.

In the end, the river flows forward, and so do we.