Gratitude for Water

Once Alexander met a hermit. Alexander said to the hermit, “How lucky you are that the world conqueror Alexander is standing in front of you.”

The hermit paused for a moment, observing Alexander’s pride. Then, to shatter his arrogance, he asked, “Suppose you are in a desert and you do not have a drop of water to drink, and I have a glass of water. What will you give me in exchange for it?” Alexander confidently replied, “I will give you lots of gold and silver.”

The hermit nodded thoughtfully and asked, “And if I still refuse to give you water, what will you offer then?” Alexander, slightly unsettled, said, “I will give you half of my kingdom.”

The hermit looked directly into Alexander’s eyes and asked again, “And if I still do not give you the water, then what will you do?” Alexander, now desperate, said, “I will give you my entire empire.”

The hermit laughed and said, “Oh fool, the value of your entire empire is this one glass of water. Then why do you shed so much blood to conquer lands and amass wealth, forgetting the simplest, most essential gifts of life?”

This illustrates the priceless nature of water—a gift we often waste without a second thought. Millions of people die every year due to a lack of clean water.

In parts of Africa, people understand its value deeply. Yet, those of us who have water take it for granted. Let us pledge never to waste water or food and to share these precious resources with those in need.