Grateful for Water

I grew up drinking nothing but juice and milk (and the occasional foray into mature sodas, like ginger ale). I *hated* water. It was boring.

But then I really grew up. Like, I got old, and realized how expensive it was to pay as much for my liquids as I was paying for my gasoline. And how bad it was to drink so many calories.

What really flipped my perception of water was when we moved into our Bailey Road house and we were visited by Mrs. L's Mom (she's currently on a mission to St. Croix). She has an amazing pattern of flying out to help her children with major life events. Not just baby births (which was often the event) but with house moves, too.

She had a glass of water from our well-water tap and complimented on how sweet it was. Her use of that adjective shifted my perspective that water can be more than just a common thing, part of the biological habit required of us to survive. It can be *good*.

Water has come to play an important role in my grown-up recreation too. I've loved being able to go rafting with my sons on their high adventures. Loved going with my whole family last year (and loved that even though I had to fib about my daughter's age to qualify her for a 11-year-old-and-up rapid, we all had an amazing time together).

I've loved going on the water with my Dad, and how willing he has been to include my kids in those trips. They all still ask, often, about when the next time Grandpa can take them fishing.

One of the simple frequent joys of my adult life has been doing laundry. I love how good the laundry smells right out of the dryer, how rewarding it is to get things folded and put away before they've cooled off. I am grateful we enjoy the abundance of water to allow us to wash things as often as we do.


Water isn't singularly pleasant presence. We've had flooding in our basement(s). Leaks from plumbing. Rain-outs for events we really wanted to attend.

But I am grown-up now, and I understand that things have to be considered as a whole. The life that water brings, the fun, the play, the cleansing. They are all worth the bother of copper pipes, solder, gutters and mud.