I sat there for a long time, listening to the waterfall intone, its sound filling my ears. It was like the murmur of countless voices and I thought they were prayers. All humanity’s laments and powerlessness. Perhaps this is what it sounded like to God, a cacophony that never ended. Sometimes our Lord stuck his finger into the flowing currents and plucked a drop from farthest away, and examined it closely before placing it on the tip of his tongue. And that was the moment a miracle happened somewhere on our earth, and a person received solace. ~ Koka björn
Back when I was a teachers’ aide in my hometown, one of the teachers asked the class if anyone had been to the ocean. Many had not. Perhaps it is also true that not everyone has had the opportunity to watch water falling from a great height and feel the cool spray on their faces. What would you call the falling water if you attempted to explain the experience? A waterfall, you say? Are you sure all those places you have in your mind right now were waterfalls? Or were they something else?
TOMĀTO, TOMĂTO?
Webster’s New World College Dictionary (Fourth Ed.) defines a waterfall this way: a steep fall of water, as of a stream, from a height; cascade. Sounds like there’s no distinction. However, if you look for the definition of cascade in the same dictionary, you see this: a small steep waterfall, esp. one of a series.
If instead of Webster’s, you google waterfall, here’s the answer: a cascade of water falling from a height, formed when a river or stream flows over a precipice or steep incline. The definition of cascade is a small waterfall, typically one of several that fall in stages down a steep rocky slope.
So they’re the same, but not. I know my opinion isn’t worth the cost of a gallon of gas in 1972, but here it is, nonetheless. Since the definition of fall, according to Dictionary.com is: to drop or descend under the force of gravity, as to a lower place through loss or lack of support, it’s a fall once it hits a lower level. That would seem to force a series of waterfalls into the cascade definition, yes? I will, however, concede that my logic (argument?) is subjective, much like the January 2024 post on Any Way You Slice It.
Waterfall or cascade - either will feed your soul
Call them what you like, I don’t know anyone who isn’t refreshed by the proximity of flowing water. Think about relaxing in an environment that offers a green canopy draped over mountain water. You can detox while moisture from higher elevations flows over rocks that have been smoothed by decades (centuries?) of weathering. If you’re lucky, you’ll be situated adjacent to an erosional landform–call it what you will–that has minimal human presence.
When all you can hear is the call of birds and other natural forest sounds, you can shush the competing thoughts in your head. For some, the experience is akin to the Balm of Gilead, which has both religious and secular connotations. Either way, it’s an opportunity to heal. Don’t take my word for it; go find one. See if you don’t find a centering-down experience. I’ll wait.
My wife always says that I look 10 years younger when I am close to falling water.
No wonder she keeps asking me to
Make a water garden!
Not touching that one. 🙄
I am all in on falling water falling and its cousin ocean waves. I had occasional work in Buffalo, NY years ago and make it a point to drive about 20 minutes up to Niagara falls. If you have not seen that one, it is a good bucket list item. Not recommended in the winter time..
That one’s lovely, but it would be difficult to find a time when it wasn’t highly populated, I think.