Picture this…Copacabana, Brazil. Sandy beaches with beautiful cliffs in the background. The ocean waves going in and out. The  hustle and bustle of people having Portuguese conversations. The sun shining bright with just a touch of wind.

Now envision this, me standing with my feet in the water admiring the picturesque sight. Taking in the sounds and smells of the beach. Feeling the waves as they gently brush against my feet. Then all of the sudden….bam! I get knocked over by a fast approaching wave! Apparently, I failed to quickly move and get out of the way. There I am drenched head to toe in water and… oops!!! There goes my sunglasses! My “I’m too cute and I like to hide my “eye” expressions from people” sunglasses were knocked without any consequence, off of my head and into the shallow but yet deep ocean water. I quickly tried to search and reach down for my sunglasses, but my vision was blurred by the water bath in which I was just christened. Reaching… I was just within its grasp! Just as quick as I saw it, the tide went out deep into the ocean and my sunglasses went with it. Memories….(I’m shrugging and chuckling right now)

Although I was upset at the time about the ocean thieving my glasses, I still appreciated the beauty and splendor of the ocean. It has always been a place of comfort, rejuvenation, and peace for me. In this moment, nature was letting me know that “when you’re on my turf you play by my rules and anything goes”. I respect these rules, which is why I like to only dip my toes in and if I’m feeling really daring I might go up to my knee :)….Nature is powerful and not one to be messed with!

I say all of this because I recognize water as being one of nature’s most precious entities. It can be calm one minute and violent the next. Its purposes are innumerable to humans and nature. It can heal, clean, nourish, and replenish. It is infinite and yet finite. We have access to only so much water that is usable to us. It’s a shame to see it being misused and unappreciated. The other day I saw that the process to build a pipeline through Native American Sacred land has been officially given the okay to move their plans further. It’s a shame to see the greediness in people and watch them belittle this powerful source of nature. Vitality is lost, once it becomes tainted as seen in Flint, Michigan.