Did you know that…
- 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated…
- In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger…
- Even mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%...
- Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue…
- 8-10 glasses of water could significantly ease back and joint pain…
- A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or printed page?
Those are pretty amazing insights about the benefits of water. And more than that, I’m glad I can finally put my finger on why I struggled with basic math in High School. If I had only stopped by the drinking fountain on the way to class…(Giggle, grin.)
We all know how important water is! Every one of us at one time or another has been so thirsty that we would have trampled anything that got between us and a cold glass of water. Maybe it was after a long run on a summer day, or maybe after eating a rich piece of cheesecake. Perhaps we have felt that kind of thirst after fasting. Make no mistake, there is nothing like putting a refreshing glass of water to your lips and drinking until the thirst is entirely quenched.
Water is essential to life. We can’t live without it. Nothing can.
I recently read the autobiography of Helen Keller. Fabulous book, filled with inspiration and insights. I know you are familiar with Helen’s story, I was too, but there was one thing that hit me like a ton of bricks when I read it. The first word she recognized as a word, understanding the meaning and making the connection between what was being signed into her hand and what she was feeling pour over her hand was…water.
It wasn’t “doll,” though that was the first gift that Anne Sullivan gave Helen. It wasn’t “mom” or “dad” though Helen knew and loved them dearly. It was “water.” This is the experience as described by Helen’s own words:
“We walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Some one was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that “w-a-t-e-r” mean the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!
"It would have been difficult to find a happier child than I was as I lay in my crib at the close of that eventful day and lived over the joys it had brought me, and for the first time longed for a new day to come.”
Interesting that Helen would describe that moment as the mystery of language being revealed. We know who has the power to reveal, to make known, open to our understanding…the Holy Ghost. I believe the Spirit opened her mind to the mystery of language. I believe that is how the connecting finally happened.
Then Helen uses these words to describe the word water – “living,” “light,” “hope,” “joy”, “set it free!.” The very same words we use to describe the Savior. When I think of the Savior as living water, it inspires a sense of awe and reverence. As water is to our physical bodies, so the Savior is to our souls. He quenches the thirst that comes from being separated from our Heavenly Home. He can slake the thirst that sets in when we sin. Through the living water that only He can offer, the thirst of loneliness, fear, doubt and discouragement can all be satisfied.
“With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:3)
“Every one that thirsteth, come ye to the water.” (2 Nephi 9:50)
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” (John 7:37)
“Partake of the water of life freely.” (D&C 10:66)
I can understand the smallest part of what Helen felt that night as she fell asleep because through the Savior I have felt that same excitement for life. Because of Him I look forward to a new day to come. He is our source of joy, of light, of hope. May we all seek to partake of the water of life.
by Hilary Weeks
June 15, 2009
Four words: treading water and polished rocks. (I guess that’s five words if you count the “and.” But seriously, who counts “ands”?)
When I think of my favorite family vacation growing up, it would have to be our trip to Cody, Wyoming. Why? Because I learned how to tread water and I bought polished rocks. Who doesn’t buy polished rocks on a vacation in Wyoming? Oh sure, you can visit Yellowstone, go to a rodeo, experience a dude ranch, or learn about Buffalo Bill. But until you have purchased polished rocks, you haven’t actually had a successful Wyoming experience.
I still remember what my polished rocks looked like. I kept them in a little pouch and would pull them out once in a while to organize and admire them.
It is quite a process to polish your own rocks. I remember my dad buying a polishing machine and setting it up in our garage. We loaded it with rocks from the neighborhood. The churning and turning of the polisher was an incredibly loud, not to mention long, process. But it was worth it. In the end, the rocks shone. Their true colors came through. They were smooth to the touch. They were beautiful.
Do you ever feel like one of the rocks—a little rough around the edges, waiting to be polished and made beautiful? Sure, it takes time, and the process hurts a little sometimes. But it is worth it. Each time we are polished, we become a little more beautiful. And, just like the best part of a Wyoming experience is the polished rocks, the best part of life’s experience is becoming refined and polished!
The other thing I’ll always remember about Cody, Wyoming, is learning how to tread water. We talked our dad into taking us out to the pool one evening. Dads are so good about getting the pool, even when it’s cold or dark. My husband does that with our kids too. I like to sit on the edge where it’s warm and dry and cheer them on. But not dads. They get in. And this time in the pool, our dad played with us for what seemed like hours. He took me to the deep end, where the water was well above my head, and taught me how to move my arms and legs so that my head stayed above the water. It was fun. I liked it. I liked knowing that if I had to survive in deep water I could. I treaded water for the rest of the night.
Some days it feels like all we do is tread water. And there are times when our heads are barely above the water line. But we keep going, we keep trying, because eventually we know we’ll get to rest on the side. We’ll have little reprieves here and there until life gets busy and we tread again.
Ultimately all the polishing and treading makes us strong. It brings out our true colors and our beauty. We come to know that we can survive the difficult things. We can keep our lives above water. We can go through the Refiner’s fire. And in the end it will be worth it!
by Hilary Weeks
October 26, 2009
Do you know someone who is always happy, never sad, always looking on the bright side of things, never down on life?
I have only ever met one or two people who claim to be that happy all the time. Actually, now that I think about it, I can only name one person. And technically, I don’t “know” her. I can’t remember her name, but I heard her speak at Women’s Conference several years ago and her topic was being happy. She said she was the type of person that was just always happy. Simple as that – she was just a happy, happy person. That stuck with me.
I admit it. I’m not like that. Wish I was…
My emotions are, how shall I say it, a little less “structured.” I remember a period of a couple weeks last year when I had the blues. There were three things that helped to restore a little sunshine to my spirits.
The first was prayer. I kept right on praying – even when I didn’t necessarily feel like it . I prayed that Heavenly Father would lift my spirits. I pleaded with Him to get me through the blues. And…I felt Him near me. I felt His support and the whisperings of the Holy Ghost getting me through.
Second was gratitude. One Sunday during this “blues” period, we talked about gratitude in Sacrament Meeting and then again in Sunday school. Elder Cook, who is in our ward, said “If we want to overcome sorrow and chase away the blues we need to count our blessings. We need to not just let them run through our minds, but run through our hearts.”
Now that was a tender mercy – hearing those wonderful words of advice while attending Sunday school. Elder Cook didn’t know how I was feeling, but Heavenly Father did and He knew how to communicate something to me through someone else.
Later that Sunday night, at a Young Women’s program, the Bishop talked about the one thing we all search for in life, above anything else. Guess what it was?
Happiness.
As the Bishop spoke, another tender mercy unfolded. He said the key to being happy is to have the Spirit with us. Taking the Sacrament is key to having the Spirit with us always. I realized that because of a family vacation and sickness I had missed the last three Sundays in a row. It had been three weeks since I had taken the Sacrament. That had definitely affected my happiness. What a blessing to have the gospel in our lives and to see ourselves, our lives, even our emotions through it’s light. The gospel provides answers and solutions.
Prayer. Gratitude. The Sacrament.
Three keys to happiness.
