“… but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14
8 AM. Sunday. The gradual crescendo of my phone alarm brought me back to consciousness. What time is it? Did I oversleep? Is it Sunday already? Should I go back to bed? My mind was still warming up and trying to function properly.
Okay, first things first. Fluid. As soon as the idea of drinking popped up in my head, I would have a tiny flashback to my times in Hong Kong. Since I was a little kid, my mother would remind me to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. Warm water. “It’s my secret to good health,” she always said.
A feeling of dryness spread across my entire body, from my mouth and throat, to my stagnant limbs and muscles. I had to bring my body back to life through drinking water. Everything was already set in place. My blue mug and thermos bottle are sitting on my desk, standing out from the many other items with their sharp color and unique shapes. As my right arm extends towards the bottle and my hand open up to a grasping position, the tense muscles of my right arm act as a constant reminder of my need to hydrate myself.
Smooth, metallic, cold were the sensations I felt as my hand grasped my bottle. A slight shiver passed through my body. I brought the bottle up to my chest area. With my left hand grasping it and my right hand twisting the cap a few times, steam came pouring out from its depths. What a fascinating dichotomy! A cold exterior combined with a hot, radiant interior. I gently put down the cap onto my table, and began pouring the liquid carefully out into my mug. The color contrast was always fascinating to watch, where the water went from my wine-colored bottle to my blue mug. The shape of the water also changed accordingly. Perhaps nothing is as shapeless and formless as water.
It was quite chilly in my room. My both hands were wrapped around my half-filled mug, absorbing the heat from the water that passed through to my entire body. My mind reached its most focused state since waking up, where it was very much present in the moment, without any other interrupting thoughts. The sensations of holding a hot cup of water proved to be an overwhelming and meditative experience.
After 30 seconds or so, I gradually raised the cup towards my lips. The glands and muscles in my mouth and throat were ready to accept this simple yet nourishing gift. My lips were a little defensive at times, but the water was just at the right temperature. Without thinking much, I was busily involved with the busy task of drinking, letting water into my mouth and swallowing it, a mouthful at a time. The muscles involved with swallowing are very much reflexive, and their coordination is key to sustaining the life of the body.
As I finished all the water in my large mug, warmth spread from my stomach to the rest of my body. I could feel the life in my body. My water ritual, a very much physical and spiritual experience, came to an end.