My body can survive three minutes without oxygen, three days without water, three weeks without food. That’s what I was told once, and I hope never to test the theory.
Three is a sacred number according to the tradition in which I was raised. I can still hear the hymn’s lyrics as sung to the resonating organ and echoing off stained glass on Sunday mornings:
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Oxygen, water, food; my body’s blessed trinity?