by Jamie Philips

To close a tumultuous 2025 with restorative time by the river, I decided spontaneously to paddle my beloved Anacostia around 11 am on New Year’s Eve, south from Bladensburg as I usually do. In my last-minute decision to get out there, I paid little mind to the tides – a critical variable for much of the river’s enjoyment. I hadn’t totally decided my destination or paddle duration before launching, figuring Spirit would guide me and I’d turn back around the time I was halfway out of gas or daylight.

I decided, after rounding the corner past the Arboretum, to try, for the second time – ironically, my first attempt was also midwinter, on a February snow day – to loop around Kingman Island, visiting the wild rice paddies where I’ve helped Jorge a time or two. And don’t ya know it, the tide was yet again too low for me to head north along Kingman’s western bank!

While it was rather cold – I was breaking ice from almost the moment I rounded the island’s southern tip – this moment of stuck-ness in ice and mud gave me an unexpected gift: a clarity that only this type of unplanned stillness can provide. I realized that, in my life, as, perhaps, with our collective path forward, I could either retrace my steps and admit my mistake (a valid, and some would argue, more sensible choice), or I could wait until the tides turned and ride the rising river out after exercising some patience and faith. I opted for the latter, and am so grateful I did, as I had never taken that inner channel before, and the exercise in meditative surrender really fueled an internal shift that continues with me still today.

Sometimes, getting stuck offers beautiful opportunities for reflection and pivoting. May 2026 bring us all such chances to begin anew and choose aligned paths!