In many parts of the world people walk miles just to access it. Here in the U.S. we may take it for granted because for most of us it comes from the tap with the flick of a wrist. Some of us buy it bottled. Some of us like it with a slice of lemon or lime. Some prefer iced, others straight up. It is the base for our coffee, tea and even wine.

We bathe in it; it cleanses us. We drink it; it sustains us. Our bodies rely on it for survival. All living things do. It literally rains down from the sky to replenish itself and nourish and grow plants, people and every other living entity on the planet.

By far it’s the most common substance found on Earth. Water. It covers more than 70 percent of the world’s surface and that’s just a drop in the bucket. All things are literally floating in it. It occupies 75 percent of the both the human brain and the average tree. Jellyfish and cucumbers are 95 percent water. It embodies all things and leaves no stone unturned - literally.

Water is life. Most of us turn on our faucets to make the morning coffee or clean the frying pan without giving much thought to the miracles of water. Maybe we should.

Our lungs are 90 percent water, our blood 83 percent. In its entirety, our body is somewhere around 60 percent water - more than half of our entire makeup is that of good old H2O. Without it we would be little more than dust.

It is our body’s only detoxifier. How do we rid ourselves of contaminants? In sweat, exhaled breath and (ahem) during bathroom activities.

Water regulates temperature - of our bodies and the Earth. Talk about double duty. When we get hot, we sweat, ridding our body of contaminants while that same sweat cools us down. The temperature of the planet is regulated via ocean currents, which transport water from the equator toward the North and South Poles to even out distribution of the sun’s energy.

Another miracle: water recycles itself. There is the same amount on Earth today as on the day the planet was formed. Usable water is lost to pollution and contamination, but the total amount remains steady.

If the everyday truths of water have you intrigued, just wait; I’ve saved the best for last.

I’ve always thought of water as an inanimate object, but experiments have shown it reacts to the environment. Researcher Masaru Emoto (not to be confused with Masaru Emoji) studied the influence of words and sounds on the formation of water crystals. Best of all, he photographed his results. They blew me out of the water.

Dr. Emoto found crystal formations differed based on the sounds and vibrations surrounding them. Positive words and harmonious music yielded beautiful and balanced crystals. Negative phrases and harsh, discordant tones resulted in disproportioned, ill-formed crystals.

Water seemed to prefer Mozart over heavy metal. My apologies to Metallica. The most delicate and harmonious crystals were formed when water was exposed to two specific words: love and gratitude. (Moment of silence here.)

This leads us to the big question: if water is affected by words, intentions and energy, what does that say about human beings who are nearly two-thirds water? Do positive and negative vibrations and phrases impact our physical beings? I’ve already locked in my answer.

Here on Earth, water is the basis for life. To think water can sense positive and negative vibrations elevates it to more than a clear liquid or a chemical compound that, when frozen, makes lemonade taste better. Something so sensitive that it reacts to human emotions and messages with displays of beauty or discord is nothing short of miraculous. The thought that we are influenced in the same way is pretty mind bending.

Perhaps there’s more to learn from water than what I initially imagined. I feel like I just jumped into the deep end. In a good way.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright, author and member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.