You Own a Well

You are the owner of a well. 

You have been digging this well for years.  You have put in hard labor.  You have studied with great well masters so that it is strong and deep.

The land is dry and barren.  Water is scarce.  A woman with no water on her land finds out that  you have a well.  She travels through the heat to your land seeking that which will sustain her life.  You share the water because it is the only thing you can do.  You reach deep inside of the well and pull forth the life nourishing liquid.

The woman thanks you and goes away.

You worry if the water might make her sick.  Maybe you didn’t pull from deep enough or filter out enough of the sediment.

You worry that she will tell others.

You worry that you might not have enough in your well if many people know that you have this gift.

You worry that others will look at you differently if you are the well owner.  They might not love you and you might be separate.

Slowly they start to appear.  At first there is one or two at a time.  Soon there are entire families.  They set up camps to cook and sleep because yours is the closest water for so many miles.  A community starts to develop.

At this point, you have a decision to make.

Do you close the well to save the precious juice for yourself?  Do you send the thirsty people away knowing they might not find water elsewhere?

Do you deny that you own the well so that you are not responsible for all of these people?

Do you pretend that you do not have this water because you do not want to be celebrated?  After all this might create ego.

Who are you to own a well?

Who are you to supply life to those that are thirsting?

Are you willing to take on this responsibility?  The one handed to you by the great Mother who has given you this gift.

Will you reach deep inside to bring forth life for the others?

The land is parched.  The people thirst.

You own the well.  Own it well.