Water is the life force of Earth. Nobody needs to be reminded of the universality of our liquid manna. From plants to animals to humans, we rely on it to such an extent and for most of us; it is provided with such ease that it is basically the most taken for granted thing in our daily lives with the possible exception of the radiant sun. We find it pouring from our taps. We find it draining through our streets. We find it in giant bathtubs, showers and leaky hoses attached to our houses. We even excrete into it. We drink it in bottles, in tea, in coffee and it is used to make our favorite beverages colder too. Our tangible, rigid bodies, in some unconceivable way, are about three-quarters water, the same percentage as our Earth’s surface. We are composed of water, surrounded by water, comforted by water, nourished by water, and yet we can overlook it due to the ease of availability.

In the contemplative stage of my weekly sauna trip, I lay soaking in the warm, shifting, bubbling atmosphere of a giant hot tub and felt such overwhelming relief for this serene and quiet moment. I was so happy to know the healing power of water. I was so enriched by having the restorative and invigorating influence of hot and cold water in alternating phases that I began to ponder the ‘idea’ of water.

It is after all, just a chemical substance of hydrogen and oxygen. But the chemistry, as fascinating as it is, is slightly less interesting to me, than the fact that everything on Earth relies on it to function. We see all things possible through water. The beach would be nothing without the ocean. Seasons would be less thrilling without precipitation. Scuba diving, skiing and surfing wouldn’t exist and for that matter neither would anything. This blue planet is made possible by water. Sure the sun keeps our temperature sustainable, but without water, it would just be a big pile of dusty rocks.

I spoke with an old friend who mentioned that there are people in Haiti, Sudan, India and many other places that don’t have clean water. They don’t have toilets with water basins, heavy-duty shower heads or access to free running tap water. She was digging wells and providing the most basic and most necessary of all essentials to the poorest of the planet. It is something that should be part of everyone’s life. No one should be thirsty or dying of dehydration.

Desalinization should be a major priority of the future generations. The freshwater will eventually be gone with overpopulation and we will need other sources. Oil is such a comprehensive obsession of today’s society that we may forget that a human, a concentrated ball of fleshy water, is operating that gasoline machine.

I will try to never forget the luxury I have on a daily basis. I will thank the heavens that rain my peaceful existence. I will pay attention to my senses and listen to my body. I will cherish this magic of our infinite quantum coincidence that put us in the only possible place in the galaxy where life could evolve and thrive. I will continue to stare at the incessant whisper of rivers, the eternal struggle of the tides and the constant caresses of the ocean waves. I will aim to comprehend the mystery of its supremacy. I will attempt to follow the gentle mantra of “going with the flow,” avoiding trying to control things that are uncontrollable. Water takes the shape of any container in which it is placed without changing its fundamental essence. Be like water.