A drop in the bucket.
What a terrific resource water is. We rely on water for everything we do. If you don’t think that’s the case, I challenge you to think of one aspect of your life that doesn't rely on water. Cue the Jeopardy jingle while we all wait…
EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE RELIES ON WATER!
I live in one of the Pacific Northwest states of the United States, and it is currently our summer season – the hottest time of year. While watering my plants earlier this month, I was struck with gratitude as I watched the water soaking into the ground on its way to nourishing the flowers I love to see this time of year. That gratitude was truly front and center in my mind because it just so happened that my street block was on the verge of having its water shut off for an entire day because of a required water main repair down the road. All of us neighbors made arrangements to store water for that period of time and discerned what each household needed to make it through that day. Let me tell you, laundry was hastily completed, dishwashers were run, and household members scrambled to claim the toilet they would use because flushing of toilets would not be possible for at least six hours.
Stressful…right?
No industry exists without the availability of water. Again, wrack your brain to think of what on earth isn’t affected by water. Forget the Jeopardy jingle, that’s a waste of music because the answer is still:
EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE RELIES ON WATER!
But this post isn’t just focused on appreciating and conserving water; it’s also about increasing our ongoing efforts to cherish that with which we have been gifted: our living space and everything within that space on which we rely, our loved ones, or aspects of our health – even when we don’t enjoy a 100% healthy existence. May you and I continually cherish all that matters to us, including every breath we take, because even the latter does not come with an endless supply.
EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE RELIES ON WATER!
I live in one of the Pacific Northwest states of the United States, and it is currently our summer season – the hottest time of year. While watering my plants earlier this month, I was struck with gratitude as I watched the water soaking into the ground on its way to nourishing the flowers I love to see this time of year. That gratitude was truly front and center in my mind because it just so happened that my street block was on the verge of having its water shut off for an entire day because of a required water main repair down the road. All of us neighbors made arrangements to store water for that period of time and discerned what each household needed to make it through that day. Let me tell you, laundry was hastily completed, dishwashers were run, and household members scrambled to claim the toilet they would use because flushing of toilets would not be possible for at least six hours.
Stressful…right?
No industry exists without the availability of water. Again, wrack your brain to think of what on earth isn’t affected by water. Forget the Jeopardy jingle, that’s a waste of music because the answer is still:
EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE RELIES ON WATER!
But this post isn’t just focused on appreciating and conserving water; it’s also about increasing our ongoing efforts to cherish that with which we have been gifted: our living space and everything within that space on which we rely, our loved ones, or aspects of our health – even when we don’t enjoy a 100% healthy existence. May you and I continually cherish all that matters to us, including every breath we take, because even the latter does not come with an endless supply.
MAY YOU SURVIVE AND THRIVE WITH A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF GRATITUDE
NOW, AND ALWAYS.
NOW, AND ALWAYS.
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Irene Frances Olson
Author of Requiem for the status quo, a novel that celebrates and encourages family caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia. You can find that book HERE. In her second novel, A Jagged Journey, Ms. Olson encourages all who have ever hit speedhumps and roadblocks in their personal life, whose opinions and judgments about others may have taken abrupt and unexpected turns, to evolve and arrive at a place where hurt begets joy, where smarts don’t necessarily equate to intelligence, and vulnerability guarantees increased strength. Seems impossible, doesn’t it? Her new novel will make a believer out of you. Ms. Olson authors a blog, www.babyboomersandmore.com, a multi-aged community of diverse interests that is also known as Living: the ultimate team sport. Her weekly contributions have been enjoyed by readers for more than ten years. |
