There is nothing more beautiful than appreciating the gift of life that we have each day. When I wake up, my first thought is reminding myself to be grateful for the gift of living another day and honoring that life force within me, which is so miraculous. We all need to do this more – engaging in a conscious connection to the miracle of our lives. It’s spectacular and needs to be celebrated each day. Nothing matters more in this life than honoring ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, and our Earth.

This leads me to what this blog post is all about: how water is the source of life and how the cultural phenomena of mermaids are a reflection of how we subconsciously (or consciously) recognize that connection. Water is sacred to me and it should be sacred to all of us. We don’t think of it enough, but we are united in the need for water being the most essential part of what allows us to survive and thrive in this lifetime. There is so much to love about water. Not only does it nourish our bodies, it cleanses our bodies, and even being near to it or hearing the sounds of water is good for our health and spirit. Mind, body, and soul… water is life.

Since I am a San Francisco Bay Area native, I am all too familiar with the trend of people attending Burning Man. To me, there is no worse way to dishonor our life force. I understand the experience is spiritually meaningful to people, but I see it mainly as a commercialized “trend experience” where people thoughtlessly go. I personally do not plan on ever attending, because I know in my heart that a dry, dusty desert festival is not honoring our life experience as being close to water does. Water is where all life emerges from. Let us all remember that, act with intention to honor that, and be sure to ensure a sustainable future in protecting water. May this be a reminder to you that recognizing the ‘simple joys’ of life are actually the most profound.