A Waterless Morning

In my other life, the one in which I lived in the United States of America, I never thought of not having water for shower, or to water my yard, or to run my dishwasher.  I often took two or three showers a day, especially when living in Mississippi. 

After moving to Honduras, I quickly learned that water was a valuable resource, not available to everyone.  I try hard to conserve water.  I don't shower every day.  I don't flush every time.  If its yellow, let it mellow; if its brown, flush it down. 

Since I don't shower every day, I was really needing one last night.  I was so tired and my entire body was screaming "go to bed."  So I did.  I set the alarm a bit earlier so I could get that shower this morning.

I forced myself out of bed to discover there was no water this morning.  I promise you, three and a half years ago I would have had a melt down over having no water in my house.  Not so, this morning.  I have learned to roll with the flow.

I got a pan out of the cabinet and put about three quarts of our drinking water in it and set off to get myself cleaner.  Not only was it ironic, but a bit amusing that the girl who thought it was ok to take three showers a day was bathing like this.  In my head, I kept hearing the saying, "waste not, want not."   But I knew, if I had not taken three showers a day in the U.S., I would still have no water for a shower this morning.

I quietly began to think of all the people, not only in Honduras, but all over the world, that never have running water.  That never have clean drinking water.  Who am I to complain because I have no water in which to shower.  I thanked God for my many, many blessings.

When I finished, Marc used the same water to shave.

The city water began to run again later this morning.  The tank is now full.  And guess who is headed toward the shower?

Terri