I bathed today.

For someone who doesn’t live in a water-limited off-grid situation, that may seem trivial or an odd thing to start a conversation with.

But, see…I live in a bus…without bathing facilities…and it is the middle of winter so outdoor bathing would require a more robust constitution than I possess. So once a week, we travel to my mom’s or a friends’ place and wash ourselves and our laundry.

And last week, we sustained several days of extremely nasty weather, making driving a perilous proposition. So we didn’t make the usual pilgrimage.

It has been TWO WEEKS since any if us had more than a sponge bath, and we were all scrambling to find clean underwear. Basically, we have spent the last 4 days trying very hard not to stand too close to ourselves.

Today, though…today we made the drive. Two baskets, a garbage bag and three grocery bags of laundry made the drive with us.

And I stood under hot running water, as hot and as long as I wanted, and felt two weeks’ worth of daily grind gurgle its way down the drain.

In this very privileged Western world, sometimes we lose sight of the simple blessings that surround us. Like hot water. Like clean clothes. Like hair that is soft and freshly washed. Like soap that smells pleasant and makes the skin feel refreshed.

Luxuries indeed.

And then, because I could, and for the simple joy of it…I took a bath, too.