And yet…Somewhere on this same spinning planet, hundreds of thousands of people are fighting for their lives simply because they cannot find what flows freely from your tap.
While exact statistics fluctuate, the reality remains grim: over a million people die annually from diarrheal diseases. That is the sterile, medical way of saying their bodies lost too much water and they couldn't replace it. They died of thirst in a world covered in water.
So, while we sit around debating the philosophical merits of whether the glass is half full or half empty, here is the brutal truth:
If there is water in your cup, drink the damn thing. And while you’re at it, maybe stop complaining about the tiny inconveniences that ruin your morning. Because some people have survived the kind of unimaginable suffering that turns our "bad days" into a luxury.
Let’s get some perspective. The People Who Survived the Unthinkable:
Aron Ralston — The Decision to Live
If you’ve ever complained about a heavy workload, think of Ralston. Alone in a Utah canyon, a boulder rolled and pinned his arm. Five days passed. No rescue. Little water. No hope.
He didn't just wait to die. He made a decision few humans can comprehend. He broke his own bones and amputated his arm with a dull multi-tool to save his life. Then, bleeding and broken, he rappelled down a 65-foot wall and hiked six miles out.
And most of us are ready to file a grievance because someone didn't refill the coffee pot in the breakroom.
Steven Callahan — 76 Days Adrift
When his boat sank in the Atlantic, Callahan was left with a raft, a spear gun, and three pounds of food.
For 76 days, he drifted. He survived on raw fish and barnacles. He drank water produced by primitive solar stills. He baked in the sun and starved in the salt spray. 76 days.
If you’ve ever complained that DoorDash was “taking forever,” Steven would like a word.
Brett Archibald — 28 Hours in the Deep
On a surf trip in Indonesia, Brett fell overboard in the middle of the night. No one saw him go. The boat kept moving. He treaded water for 28 hours. He was in waters known for sharks and lethal jellyfish. He fought off hallucinations, hypothermia, sun exposure, and the terrifying darkness of the open ocean. He kept kicking until he was found.
So the next time the Wi-Fi drops for 20 seconds, take a breath. You aren't drowning.
Poon Lim — 133 Days Alone
After a German U-boat sank his ship in 1942, Poon Lim climbed onto a wooden raft. He stayed there for 133 days. He caught rainwater. He made hooks from flashlight springs. He fended off sharks with an improvised weapon. When the rain didn't fall, he drank the blood of the fish he caught to stay alive.
And we gripe when the Instacart shopper grabs the vanilla yogurt instead of the strawberry.
The person sitting in the chemo chair, praying for one more year. Tip of the hat to my sister, my friend Denise, my classmate Molly, and my high school heart throb Christy!
The parent caring for a medically complex child around the clock, fueled only by love and exhaustion. A school family recently buried a young child who lost his courageous fight with a second round of leukemia.
A family that is deciding between rent and heat.
The patient receiving a life-altering diagnosis with a calm bravery that most of us cannot comprehend.
These are not movie scripts. They are everyday heroes carrying burdens heavier than anything a Monday morning traffic jam can throw at us.
Yet somehow, many of them keep smiling. They keep moving. They keep hoping.
Life is messy, stressful, and frequently unfair. Your problems are real. Your stress is valid. I am not asking you to pretend your pain doesn't exist.
But perspective is the antidote to misery. And gratitude is the cure for constant complaining.
I don’t care if the cup in front of you is half empty or half full. There is clean water in it. Drink the damn thing. Then, thank God you aren’t trapped under a boulder sawing off your arm, floating in shark-infested waters, or rationing raindrops on a life raft.
You woke up today. You have water. You have a chance. That is more than millions of people got this morning.
Remember the survivors. Remember the fighters. Remember the ones who never had a half-full cup in the first place. And the next time you find yourself winding up to complain?
Drink the water. Be grateful. And get back to living. You’ve got more than enough to make today a good day.
Amen brother!!! Thanks for the reminder that yes I am having a great day. Have a house, have a furnace, have food and clean water. I'm not living in a tent under a bridge scrabbling for food out of a dumpster.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you, my friend. You said it, this time of year, many people don't always have their priorities right. Some of my readers prefer when I'm a little snarky or matter-of-fact rather than Pollyanna, cheery, etc, according to the analytics! Go figure?!
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