I turned on the tap and nothing came out. This is sometimes the reality of living on a property where water arrives at the tap via an electric pump; Any power outage is also a water outage.
In those moments when water doesn’t come, I’m reminded of how vital it is to have access to water. So many things we do depend on it… Washing dishes, preparing food, cleaning the house, watering the plants and ourselves – and let’s not exclude the convenience of flushing the toilet.
Yet, on the days when water comes the instant I flick on the switch, I completely take it for granted. I don’t think about the water, but I think about what it does for me. Always ready to deliver life-giving sustenance to my farm life, water is something I don’t thank enough.
So today, as I muse about the role of water in our lives, I offer gratitude to this magical, life-giving element.
Noticing the water
One of my favourite sounds to hear is the movement of water. The gentle insistence of water flowing over stones in a creek, the tapping of rain on the roof, and the steady rhythm of waves tumbling onto a beach are all sounds of life renewing itself.
Just as the natural world replenishes itself through the water cycle, humans instinctively gravitate towards water in pursuit of self-renewal, vitality and peace.
I have an early childhood memory of sitting at the window, watching droplets of rain dance on the glass. The way the droplets moved in unpredictable directions, and not in a straight line fascinated me.
As soon as I relinquished the expectation that the droplets would eventually form a conventional geometric shape, I felt deliciously calm. I fell into a trance where I could feel my own internal rhythm fuse with that of the water running down the glass. It was a dance between me and the water, and no one else was there to tell us how it should go.
Today, this moment lives on inside me. At any moment, I can call upon this calm connection, created between me and the water about 50 years ago to balance my being.
The forgotten reverence of water
In myths and fairy tales, we find echoes of an enchanted world we barely remember, where water was respected for its life-giving power.
An example of such a tale is the Women of the Wells, from Irish folklore. In this tale, the healing wells of Ireland were protected by women, who would share the life-giving waters with passing travellers. The people and the land were nourished by the enlivening waters until a King and his men raped the women of the wells. This caused the women to disappear and for the wells to dry up.
I believe this tale aptly demonstrates the folly of abusive power over the natural world, foreshadowing the disenchanted world that dominates Earth today. It also hints at the possibility and mutual benefits of a different, more nourishing kind of relationship we could have with the earth.
We tend to completely disregard the energetic properties of water. Instead, we see it as a lifeless commodity and convenience. Just look at any river, creek or beach, and see how readily we pour waste into it. Polluted water is not shocking; it is commonplace. We accept polluted water as the cost of doing business.
Often, it is only the care of local people that will return a stream or creek to its healthy flow. Just as it is the determination of passionate individuals to address the large garbage patches in the ocean, rather than any, coordinated response between nations.
So much of this waste accumulation feels beyond our control. But rather than grieve about the misuse and abuse of water, we can change our relationship to the water that passes through our lives daily.
This can be as simple as noticing. As we stand under the shower, let’s feel the water rather than fill our minds with other plans. As we wash the dishes, water our garden, clean our clothes, let’s look at the water and offer it our attention. If only briefly, we may even feel moved to say hello or to thank the water we are about to drink.
Every day, we turn on the tap and it’s just there, ready for our convenience. What would it look like to change our relationship with water? Not the water in some far-off waterfall, or idyllic beach but the water we use every day? That we wash in. That we drink. That we clean our clothes, pets and car in. That we water our plants with. That water. Do we ever truly notice it? Smell or taste it? Or even appreciate it?
This is something I challenge myself to do. To cultivate a relationship with the water within my body and in my life.
Water is living
Water connects everything. Yet, in this mechanised world, we’re often prone to feeling disconnected. It’s a story in our mind; an illusion.
It’s a challenge to stop thinking about water as a commodity, a utility or merely a means to hydrate, and think about it as a life energy. Not owned or controlled by humans. Something wild and free, that deserves to run free. Water has been harnessed and put to work. Sickened by chemicals. Let’s free the water.
Left to itself, it will renew. Water is soft yet powerful.
Japanese author and scientist, Masaru Emoto studied the effects of our words and language on water. His findings suggest that the molecular structure of water can be manipulated by the energy we bring to it – whether we are hostile, offer it love or simply ignore it, the quality of water is impacted.
If we are mostly water, I wonder about the effect that our self-talk has on us. Can we enhance the quality of our health and that of water with our intentions?
One thing for certain is that in the same way a child comes to life with the love and attention of its family, water can be enlivened by our presence. Water needs love just like us for water is alive.
