An Unexpected Gift
I’m amazed at what’s happened. And yet, not.
God granted me one of the finest gifts he could give.
I went through a fair amount of pain to gain this gift—however. And this dragged on for years in my youth. I never gave up. I kept trying. Learning. Pressing onward. It never occurred to me not to.
My faith shone bright like a beacon on the darkest nights during this bleak time.
Having conventional health insurance doesn’t guarantee you’ll stay well. I had health insurance during this bleak time, hopping from MD to MD with no positive results. But—then, I entered the alternative health realm with my work and added this type of self-care to my life. And the healing began!
After working with a homeopathic physician for quite a while in conjunction with other forms of alternative health care (chiropractic, acupuncture, meditation, etc.) I suspected I’d reap the rewards of all this work in years to come. Ceaseless patience entwined this effort as my body healed at its own pace. There are times when slower is better.
And now, this gift is ever so apparent. When I hear of others near my age or beyond or younger as well, I am at a loss for words at how poor or difficult their life is because of failing health issues. Understanding how to help these atypical quarks my body has and keeping well in a general sense is knowledge earned, plus learned. And this base includes well-being wisdom for all.
This gift isn’t without disappointment, though. I often share healing tips, such as an ointment to help an ailment or a therapy to assist an undesirable habit or to help an issue. These tidbits are unvalued most times, sad to say, as I don’t have an official title. Too bad there isn’t a diploma from the school of hard knocks.
I feel like the educated janitor who’s disregarded, but the occasion when someone stops to hear the expertise within their words.
Despite this disappointment, all these years later—joy fills me like an overflowing glass beneath an open faucet. Because—there is nothing like a body that works properly. Nothing. I wouldn’t change this long ago frustrating and drawn-out process for anything.
A yearly physical at an MD’s office isn’t enough to stay well because we are more than just the beat of our hearts, blood running through our veins, or bones that hold us up. Our thoughts, wishes, purpose, what we do, how we do it, what we feel—all matter to the quality of our health. Even where we put ourselves has a role in this. Like what place we choose to live in and the job we work. Applying wellness practices every day is just like brushing your teeth. It needs to be consistent. The following, I learned, are terrific things to do:
letting go of emotions (feeling them, not loudly expressing or suppressing them, just gently feeling them and then letting go)
daily fresh fruits and vegetables in their whole form (not canned, frozen, or boxed, organic & local)
continual practices of Tai Chi, yoga, Qi Gong, walking, swimming, running, singing, prayer, or meditation
steady check-ups with a Naturopath, Homeopath, Herbalist, Acupuncturist, Ayurveda physician, or an Aromatherapist
listening to our body and knowing when to stop and recover when stress has overwhelmed us
And there is so much more…Rome wasn’t built in a day; this is for sure.
Dr. Cindee Gardner, Ph.D., HD, CHom, DHom, said she’d thought I’d be around til ninety-four. What a gift to have—quality of life in my later years.
