Water flows like magic
From this ordinary faucet.

The slightest touch of a single finger
Unleashes an endless stream of crystal clear, pure, life-sustaining water
Without which I could not survive.

How many souls have given their time and energy
Applied their knowledge
Dedicated their own lives to sustain mine?

Souls I do not know.

Souls who know not me.

Ancient Romans who first conceived of this possibility
Civil engineers and construction workers who built dams and mined aquifers
Erected towers
And laid pipe under every road of this great country
And every street of this small town.
Teachers who taught them, not just their trade
But how to read and write and calculate.
Grocers and farmers who provided their food.
Garment workers in far-off lands
Who made the clothes they wear to their work.
And all other humans everywhere
Who provided every other necessity of their lives.

With the touch of a finger on this extraordinary faucet
I feel the pulse of all mankind
As water flows like magic.

We take so many things for granted in the privileged lives we lead. But our lives are truly dependent on essentially every other person who has ever lived. Everything we own, everything we eat or drink, everything we need or think we need was made for us or grown for us or transported to us by other human beings. The next time you turn on a water faucet, I hope you think of the interconnectedness of all things — particularly, how every human everywhere is connected in some small way to everything we do and everything we have.

In true mindfulness fashion, think of the interconnectedness of all things whenever you turn on a faucet, perhaps while reciting the last stanza of this short poem. The tactile feedback of touching the tap, feeling the water flow, and visualizing the pulse of all mankind behind this bit of magic can be a very powerful reminder of this mindful message. Give it a try!