On October 13th, I will celebrate my 23rd year of successfully surviving this crazy roller coaster that we call life. That's almost 23 years of laughing, 23 years of eating, 23 years of spending, and 23 years of receiving. Most importantly, that's 23 years of chasing things that make no difference, and impact no one other than myself.

That's a lot of years of self-induced blindness. I can pour a glass of water from three rooms in my house. I can shower for 45 minutes before I experience a cold drop of water, and can wash load upon load of laundry in my basement. Ironically, every day, as I partake in seemingly simple, mundane tasks, I am taking advantage of one of the greatest gifts of all: fresh water.

This month, thousands of people will die because they do not have access to clean water. Hospitals, orphanages, and homes will use water that their animals swim in as a way to sustain their lives, while consequently slowly ending them. This month, I can think of no greater birthday gift than to combat this issue.