When I was young at the river, I remember watching the current rushing past rocks, and sticks and dead trees. I remember wondering if I could ever cross to the other side when the water level was low. There were always big islands made of dry, white and dirty rocks that I could usually walk on with my rain boots. But the rain boots were never tall enough, so I could never cross to the other side.

When I was young at the river, I remember walking to the river with my brand-new boots that I had gotten for my birthday. They were sparkly and colourful, and they smelled like rubber, but in my eyes, they were perfect. Walking to the rock spot was also one of my favourite parts of the trip. After it had rained, the forest smelled like damp leaves and rocks and bark that was starting to peel off, and you could always see someone walking by… sometimes on a bicycle!

When I was young at the river, I remember walking there day after day, hoping that the water level had dropped so that I could finally cross the river. I could always hear birds chirping and water rushing and the faint sound of someone having a barbecue in their backyard. This place eventually became an escape to the outside world since the pandemic had hit

When I was young at the river, I remember noticing that it hadn't rained in a while. I grabbed my rain boots and I walked to the rock spot in hope that the water was low enough to cross. Slowly, as I walked through the water with my tallest boots, I noticed all the slimy seaweed pushing through the rocks underwater. I had noticed the fish and the ducks and geese that swam by as I pushed my way through the small current to the other side. After that day, I gradually came to see this spot less and less. Now, I haven't gone in a while but sometimes, when I'm walking past that same spot, I'll remember all my good memories there and wishing I hadn’t grown up so fast.