Water is Life

     I bet there’s something very special about living in Tampa Bay many people don’t realize. Even if they drive across any one of our bay-side bridges every day, I bet they still don’t realize this simple truth.  But that’s OK. Someone else had to point it out to me too.

Moon Rising Over Old Tampa Bay

     One evening I sat with my husband on our favorite bench overlooking Old Tampa Bay. The sun was setting, casting gorgeous hues of gold, orange, red, and pink all over the buildings of the condo complex where we live. We relaxed after a hard day of stressful work, watching the moon rise above the Bay and the lights of Tampa come up on the horizon in front of us. Then my husband says, “Do you realize with the right vessel, we could go just about anywhere in the world we want to go RIGHT FROM THIS VERY POINT?!” WOW! Water opens up all sorts of possibilities when you take the time to reflect!
     Water has always been an important element to me. I've been fascinated with it since before I can even remember. My mother LOVES to tell how I would react as a toddler any time we would pass a body of water. I would excitedly exclaim and point, “Look, Mom! Look at the wateeeeeee!” Growing up in East Tennessee and taking summer trips to northern Minnesota provided plenty of opportunities for these sightings. Water’s influence on my life was further solidified by being raised as a Southern Baptist in the Bible-belt. There was no sprinkling for me. No sir, I was DUNKED!!

Photo taken from our patio BEFORE a big storm

    In The Notebook Nicholas Sparks wrote “It is life, I think, to watch the water. A man can learn so many things.” What has water taught me? Sparks was right – so many things. Today I want to share a few of those insights around pitch, pace, and perspective.

PITCH

     I’m a musician at heart. With piano and trumpet as my instruments of choice, music has always set an important tone in my life. Different pitches always tickle my ears. Water sings in ranges from soothing and whimsical to frightening and ferocious - from high to low and anywhere in between. Many times I've drifted off in peaceful sleep listening to a gentle rain patter against a tin roof or against the windowsill. Seashells caught in the surf and spilling onto the shore often remind me of playful laughter. Hurricane-force gales have frightened me to wonder if our house might cave in. We learn from both the ups and downs we experience. It’s up to us to stop long enough and listen to the sounds around us.

Photo taken from our patio DURING a big storm

PACE

     Water doesn't stand still, does it? Not unless it’s frozen! Memories of an Ocoee River rafting trip provides a great illustration of life’s pace. At the start of the trip I climbed into the raft with the rest of my friends, nervously hanging onto my paddle as we waited for instruction from our Guide. Off we went as we paddled into the river and picked up the current. A small rapid early in the trip built up excitement for the rest of the ride ahead. Then came the hard work as the current slowed and our Guide kept coaching us to row hard. He must have known we were discouraged when he pointed out a large hawk perched high up in a pine tree alongside the water for a change of pace. Just when we had stopped rowing and were squinting our eyes towards the treetops, we lunged into a larger set of rapids. We paddled even faster until we pulled through on the other side. Afterwards we heard the Guide laughing at us, “That spot, folks, was the ‘Gotcha Rapids!” My favorite part of the whole trip was when we jumped out of the raft and floated along quietly. That little bit of peacefulness wouldn't have been nearly as sweet without those other defining moments however.
     Isn't life like that rafting trip? At some points we cautiously take steps leading in one direction. Prolonged hard work without reward may leave us discouraged. Just when we think we’re making progress - something unexpected happens. In between those difficult moments, there are sweet times to enjoy where we just float along - happy and content, or exhilarated by the accomplishment of finishing the ride.

PERSPECTIVE

     Water’s lessons around perspective resonate the loudest for me. Water cannot be created or destroyed, but merely changes form. Think about a lake. If that lake is in Minnesota, it’s a great place for swimming and fun during the summer. Turn the calendar to January and you’ll see a very different picture. More often than not you’ll see trucks driving out onto that same lake to an ice fishing house that brave person set up. It’s the same lake. It’s the same water in that lake. But the form has changed.
     Have you ever known two different individuals facing a similar situation that react very differently? What makes one person react positively and another negatively? Proactively versus re-actively? What we experience in life often depends upon our perspective.
     The flow of life, like water, is often what you make of it. Think of an old-fashioned hand water pump. Old pumps can require much pumping effort to get the water flowing. Sometimes, our grandparents may have had to “prime the pump” first by pouring water into the well to get it flowing again. Life is no different. The best things in life often require putting in a little extra effort to realize the best results.

     Considering 11% of the world’s population doesn't have access to safe water, it’s obvious that clean water is a precious commodity. Today, think of water as if it were life. Just as dropping a stone into still water causes an expanding ripple, remember your actions have implications to those around you. Life itself is just as precious. Find the element that speaks to you and learn from the lessons it will teach you.

Our Tin Cup Chalices enjoy sunset at the Sandpearl Resort sometimes too