Drops of Inpiration Series: The Magic of Water

During the last few weeks, we had a welcome sample of a possible summer. It became progressively hot, reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius here where I live. The sun was shining and my mood improved immediately. Going back many years to my youth, memories kept flowing of time spent on the sandy beaches of my Italian hometown of Taranto. Those were wonderful carefree times: many friends, a lot of good times and good food, and memories that will stay with me forever!

When I think of the beach and the hot summers back then, I cannot help but think of the water of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. Dipping in that water, diving down, and swimming back and forth, gave me a sense of lightness and profound freedom. But diving underwater gave me the best sensation. It was as if I were in a different world, completely detached from the cacophony of the outer world. Under the water, I could see a different reality all nuanced in a turquoise colour mixed with the dark green of sea vegetation and large spots of untouched, almost white sand, so fine and immaculate. The different creatures swimming around me added to an atmosphere of magic that nowadays seems almost unreachable.

Since then, whether it is the ocean, or a lake (and we have many here where I live), or a river or a waterfall, water has become my safety net. When I need to think and find inner peace, a place near water is where I go. The question I have asked myself recently is, why water? Certainly my youth experience forged a special relationship with water but I think there is more to it than the simple yet strong memories of youth.

A few years ago, I came across the principles of Taoism as taught by Lao Tzu, the leading master of this ancient philosophy. He wrote a small book more than 2600 years ago that contains the essence of Taoism. It is a compilation of 81 poems, some short some a bit longer, all with some philosophical meaning, but the one that caught my attention the most was the following poem on water:

“The supreme goodness is like water. It benefits all things without contention. In dwelling, it stays grounded. In being, it flows to depths. In expression, it is honest. In confrontation, it stays gentle. In governance, it does not control. In action, it aligns to timing. It is content with its nature and therefore cannot be faulted.”

How powerful! There are many lessons in this short poem. As now I better understand why water has such a great impact on my inner self, let me share some of the lessons I learned from this.

Lesson 1 – Water represents humility. Have you ever thought about it? Water always stays low and benefits all from underneath and yet provides indispensable nourishment for life. Water is only second to air on the list of survival needs of beings. You can stay without eating for a number of days but it takes only no more than three days without water to die. And yet, notwithstanding its importance, water does not draw any attention to itself and does not need any reward and recognition, but without water contribution life would not be able to exist. As Lao Tzu remarks in his poem, water teaches us to remain grounded, to be in the present, but also to learn from our experiences that represent the flow of our inner water.

Lesson 2 – Water is harmony. When water faces an obstacle it flows around it with gentleness. It remains the same and does not lose its power and function. It doesn’t get upset, it doesn’t get angry. It doesn’t get agitated. In fact it doesn’t feel like much at all. When faced by an obstacle, somehow water seems to find a solution without force and without conflict. When I find myself in front of a water expanse, my mind flows better and thoughts come to mind more easily. It is as if I join with nature and feel a wholeness that envelops me with wisdom. A wisdom that is eternal.

Lesson 3 – Water is openness. Water can become solid or can evaporate. Its intrinsic flexibility makes it even more valuable to us and nature. We can use it to quench, refresh, cool, heat, nourish and so on. Yet its core remains the same. I think of my values and my beliefs and yet I also think of my ability of being open to change and learning as part of that value and belief system. The openness of water is the ability to progress and to make a difference.

I have often cited Viktor Frankl in my writings. He was held in a Nazi concentration camp for a few years during World War II and suffered many atrocities at the hands of his captors. He tells us the other side of the story: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Water has that effect on me. It makes me think that I can always be in control and at peace even in the most difficult circumstances.

Now, when I remember those times as a kid and a young man during those hot summers on a beautiful beach, in my hometown, I also remember the immense sense of respite that drinking cold water used to give me. It felt as if water was life and in fact it is. I have learned to appreciate water and hopefully I have learned some important lessons in my experience with it.

Beauty and wisdom in simplicity is truly powerful.
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