I?m not sure at what moment I became so incredibly grateful for the unlimited supply of fresh, clean water I enjoy with the flip of a faucet everyday of my life, anytime of the day, all year round. Why I wasn?t this grateful and aware until recently, I don?t know. I certainly should have been. I truly realize now what a luxury it is to have my unlimited water supply.
Over the past couple of years, as I have become more conscious about water and how fortunate I am, my sorrow has also escalated for the large percentage of our planet?s population who do not know, have never known and can?t even imagine what it?s like to have clean water to drink, much less to bathe, or wash their clothes or make formula for their children. Three quarters of our planet is water, but only a fraction of my fellow human beings enjoy what I enjoy. This is incredibly sad to me.
Of all the material possessions our society has come to believe are real luxuries ? automobiles, homes, jewelry, electronics and all of the other physical possessions we?ve come to value as a culture ? the unlimited supply of clean, drinkable water at our fingertips is the one we should treasure most. It is the real prize. It?s actually a jewel above price and we pay next to nothing for it. Not only is it so plentiful for so many in the U.S., it costs us virtually nothing. I pay $10-$15 a month for all of the water I want to use, to shower, drink, wash my car, clothes and dishes, bathe my dog and water my flowers and plants.
Most of my life I have enjoyed this unlimited water supply and have taken it for granted, until now. These days, I read, listen to and seek out stories and news about the increasingly limited supply of clean water on this planet, including the current and impending drought throughout much of the United States. The reality has forced me to change my thinking.
This spring, the founder of SnapDeal.com, Kunal Bahl, donated $5,000 to a remote village in northern India, for 15 hand water pumps to be installed in the village. Before these pumps were installed, the village residents had to walk miles for clean water and carry it back home. ?As a result of the gift of clean water, this grateful community of devout Hindus renamed their village, which had been Shiv Nagar named after a Hindu god, to SnapDeal.com. When a person or community or nation has been deprived of clean water, a gift like this is stunning in what it does for entire lives.
Clean water is a gift to be appreciated and valued.