Kimberly Garza grew up going to the river, which depending on the day and her familyโs mood could have meant the banks of one of a few bodies of water: the Frio, the Sabinal, or the Neuces. All three rivers are in close proximity to Garzaโs hometown of Uvalde, Texas:
RIVERS ARE PLACES OF FORGETTING,ย of memory. But they are also places of healing.
The use of rivers and water in therapeutic practices is millennia old, employed by nearly every Indigenous culture known around the world. The term โriver therapyโ refers to the practice of swimming in a river or walking near one and drawing positive benefits and relief from the space and its elements. River sounds are used in relaxation training systems to soothe and calm people. Studies have shown that just listening to a river can alleviate stress.
The term โspaโ derives from the Latin phraseย sanitas per aquasโโ health through water.โ
UVALDE IS NO LONGERย known for rivers but for tragedy. We are part of a terrible tradition of Texas towns with this fate, among places like Santa Fe, El Paso, Sutherland Springs, and Allen. Since the massacre of May 24, 2022โthe murder of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementaryโwe have seen our unraveling, our sorrow and our rage, broadcast to the world. We have watched our townโs name, the names of our neighbors and families and friends, carried on a current farther away from us. We grieve, even today. Some part of Uvalde always will.
But the rivers are still here, the moments of respite in the waters around us.
I hope the healing is coming, too.