Why Does Water Feel Like My Enemy?

I’d figure I’d share the azalea picture because they are so gorgeous and stay with us such a short while. Some years I feel if I blink, I’ll miss them.

One thing plants have in common with humans is we need to be hydrated. I admit it. I struggle.

I’m up quickly in the morning to get coffee. One or two big cups and I’m good. And when I mean I’m good, often I don’t think about drinking the rest of the day. Which isn’t really good.

It’s not that I hate water – I love it. I was a water drinker before it was cool. Before it was common to order water in restauramts.

I wasn’t raised on sweet tea like my Southern friends, so never was used to drinking that (though I do love it.) I quit drinking soft drinks after the novelty wore off. We were a hot tea (with milk and sugar), KoolAid, or milk family growing up (milk for meals), so soft drinks were awesome when my mom first started buying them on occasion. I tired of them early, though – sometime in my twenties.

I suspect some of it came from drinking diet sodas (remember Tab? And Fresca?) and having issues with many artificial sweeteners. I was never consciously aware of an issue while drinking sodas, but I wonder if my body sensed it.

Anyway, I remember going to a bar with friends one night and ordering a glass of water. They told me it would cost a dollar. That was fine with me – I wanted water.

Now, this wasn’t fancy bottled water – it was straight from the tap. My friends were incensed. Who charges for water?

It was Happy Hour in this bar – meaning free food. Back then bars served really good free food for Happy Hour. Taco bars, nachos, pizza – we poor struggling 20-somethings could eat for dinner for the price of a drink.

Having been in food service I laughed at my friends worrying about the cost. Someone had to wash that water glass – the restaurant deserved a dollar. And the server a tip that was at least another dollar.

But while I’ll drink water with meals in restaurants, usually, at home I find myself drinking nothing. I know there are days when that morning coffee was my only beverage.

Knowing myself I try to be mindful and make myself drink a glass or two. No, I am rarely thirsty. But I know that doesn’t mean I don’t need to drink.

So now I’ve been working on hydrating way past a couple of glasses. I’m struggling. I may scowl at the water glass on occasion.

I don’t like water bottles. I haven’t found one where the water doesn’t taste funny to me after it has been in there a while. Consequently I rarely carry one around.

I hate using plastic water bottles, too. We use too darn many, in my opinion. I usually only have one or two at home (though almost always have some under my passenger seat in my car – those that have come from some function or another and I never drank. Who knows how long they’ve been there?)

I prefer glasses, and it doesn’t work well to tote those around. I find I do better chugging than sipping. We’ve talked about my attention span, right? It can be on the table next to me and I’ll forget about it and find it later, untouched.

When I had my physical this year my nurse practitioner told me my lab results for kidney function were a bit off. She said there was nothing to be concerned about, but she was going to continue to watch it.

My first thought? “Dang it Kim. It’s because you’re not drinking enough water. You need more than a tablespoon of water when you swallow a handful of pills.” (Not that I usually take a handful, but lately not only is the pollen getting me but I have had an issue with one of my legs, so I am taking more pills than normal.)

So OK, drinking is another bad habit I am working on but I’ll never have to join AA. It seems a bit silly to forget to eat and drink, but that’s my biggest struggle.

Have a great week. I’ll drink my water if you do, Or at least I’ll try.