Tea for all your troubles!
28 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
in Anxiety Relief, Baby & Child Health, Beauty and Skin Care, God's Green Herbs, Stress, tea Tags: cold, flu, Herb, HERBS FOR INFECTION, HERBS FOR KIDS, HERBS FOR THE FLU, Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis, SICK, tea, thyme
We often forget just how powerful a cup of tea can be.
All around the world herbal teas are known to enhance our mood, induce sleep, relax our nerves, reduce inflammation and infection and treat a number of ailments.
If you are not familiar with the world of herbs – I invite you to read through the following information and be blessed.
Who knows you might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.
In a previous article a few months ago I wrote about Thyme and all of its properties. Now I wanted to focus on some other incredible herbs. As with all things its best to use Organic herbs. I love using fresh herbs but because we do so many cups of tea per day we would need a whole farm of herbs to keep up with us. So I use Organic dried herbs. We cook and bathe with them. We also use a variety of herbs to treat sty’s, diaper rash, dandruff, colds, coughs and many other ailments. I grew up taking teas and tonics for all sorts of things.
I remember with joy and sadness the lovely aromatic teas my sweet daddy used to make for me. I must pause for a moment, to contemplate my dads smile. Oh how I miss him, it will be two years since his tragic death due to medical malpractice. I miss you dad – and I am trying to fill in your shoes!
OK, tears are done and we are back on track.
So yes we were talking about teas. It’s crazy but most people don’t even realize the healing power of herbs. For this article I will just list 5 herbs and what they are commonly used for. All of these herbs have been used in our home by everyone including our new baby.
Chamomile: antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antispasmodic, aids in digestion and has a calming sedative effect. Makes a great wash for face and treatment for styes. Has worked greatly for our children at all ages.
Lemon Balm: nervine (means that it calms the nerves), tranquilizer, antispasmodic, fever reducer, antiviral. Good for colds, flu, colic in little ones, sleeplessness, flatulence. This herb is used almost daily in our home.
Rosemary: digestion, menstrual cramps, diarrhea, antispasmodic effect on upper intestine and gallbladder ducts, antiseptic, anti-inflamatory. Used as a wash for hair, diaper area, psoriasis, dandruff and lice prevention. We use in our home to disinfect and do vapor treatments during flu season.
Lemon Grass: used to treat depression, fight fever used locally over rheumatic joints and sprains as well as nervous and digestive disorders. Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, reduces flatulence promotes relaxing sleep. Organic essential oil of lemon grass is used to cleanse oily skin, and in aromatherapy as a relaxant. This herb is one of my favorites. I cook with it all the time and always add a pinch to my homemade herbal tea mixes.
Rose Petals: Fantastic gargle and tea for sore throat and mouth sores, relieves uterine issues and heavy periods or irregular periods. Assists with clearing up runny noses and fighting chest infections with congested bronchial tubes. Used to help sufferers of insomnia, depression and extreme fatigue. We use it in a mix with other herbs to bathe baby and our older children. I exfoliate with it several times a week for beautiful skin without using toxic washes and scrubs. We also make cinnamon and rose petal preserves, and oh is it good!
Hope you enjoyed this brief class on herbs. I will be discussing the benefits of other herbs in future articles. If you need help finding quality organic herbs at a great price email us at LaChicaOrganica@gmail.com and we will send you our latest Winter Catalog.
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth… Psalms 104:14
Blessings,
La Chica Organica
Related Articles
- Herbal Tea for Colds, Throat Irritation and Infection (lachicaorganica.wordpress.com)
- Herbal Tinctures to help you during Flu Season (lachicaorganica.wordpress.com)
- How do I make a tea with organic loose herbs and what on earth is a Decoction? (lachicaorganica.wordpress.com)
- Cold and Flu Cocktails/Remedies – What you Should Have on Hand! (lachicaorganica.wordpress.com)
Cold and Flu Cocktails/Remedies – What you Should Have on Hand!
06 Oct 2010 6 Comments
in Allergies and Asthma, Baby & Child Health, Flu & Cold, God's Green Herbs, Green Living, organic food, Preggo Mama, Stress, tea, vitamin d, Vitamins & Supplements Tags: balm, cold, Colostrum, Echinacea., flu, garlic, green, health, Herb, homeopathic, Immune system, immunity, immunity boosting herbs, Influenza, Joe Shmoe, Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis, natural cures, olive, organic herbs, Oscillo, Oscillococcinum, Smoothie, thyme, tincture, Vodka, winter
Is there a cold or flu virus lurking around the corner? Did you just go to the store and open up the refrigerated section then a few minutes later rub your eyes?
It’s amazing how easily we are exposed to nasty viruses and bacteria. All it takes is for Joe Shmoe to sneeze and cough right on the handles of the store refrigerators and then you come strolling along completely unaware that the door handles are covered in yuck. You open them, get your goods and go on your merry way. A few minutes later you robotically rub your eyes or nose and whala – the connection is made. Those nasty germs are on their way into your body.
First let me lovingly say that if you are a Joe Shmoe, please do us all a favor and COVER YOUR MOUTH when you cough or sneeze. Carry a pack of tissues with you so you can use and discard as needed. Also be sure to cleanse hands after each explosion of germs. It’s very irresponsible and inconsiderate to know that you’re sick and sneeze and cough all over the place without covering up and washing your hands afterward. You are promoting sickness in the community of pregnant moms, babies, young adults, parents, the elderly and even pets.
So what are some things you can do to reduce your chance of getting sick and or help you if you do get sick? What I am going to say might shock you but it’s often overlooked.
SLEEP.
Yes, if and when your body is under attack you must sleep. Make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of un-interrupted sleep at night although 9 hours is ideal especially when the body is under stress. Your body can survive for days and days without food but your organs can start to shut down after just 5 days without sleep. So please get your rest if you can, it’s very important. Another important factor is water intake. Your body needs water at least 8 to 10 glasses a day in order to function properly. Your brain alone is composed of over 75% water. Not to mention the rest of your body consists of about 60% water.
Just think of a raisin all shriveled up. That could be your brain or your lungs you know. It’s actually been studied that people with asthma that drink more water and stay hydrated were found to have less attacks. So hydration with good old water is very important at all times.
Now to the other stuff.
Before I start giving you what I use let me make it clear that if you want to be healthy you have to act like your trying to get healthy. Yes, organic herbs and supplements can help a body under attack but you must deal with the problem from the inside out and not simply treat a symptom. If you eat a diet mainly of cooked foods and do not take additional enzymes, probiotics and minerals you are going to run your body down and in turn have a weakened immune system that will fall prey to any and every viral or bacterial infection floating in the air. A healthy diet is the key to maintaining a strong immune system.
OK, now that I got that out of the way, lets talk about my health cocktails. I have all kinds of cocktails: bath cocktails, breakfast cocktails, immunity cocktails, you name it I’ve got it.
- Some of the foods, ingredients & herbs I use in my emergency cold and flu cocktails are: Organic Olive Leaf , Organic Lemon Balm, Organic Ginger, Organic Garlic, Organic Thyme, Greens and Grasses in smoothies, Colostrum, Organic Herbal Baths, Organic Powdered Rose hips (Vitamin C), vitamin D3, herbal salts, Organic Cayenne Powder, Organic herbal antiviral antibacterial tinctures & glycerites.
- Want to boost immunity then do a smoothie with Organic Greens. We drink one every morning for breakfast and add in powdered Colostrum and powdered Rose hips. La Chica Organica has a fantastic blend of Greens/Grasses available, please email me for product information and pricing.
- Making pasta be sure to crush lots of fresh garlic. If you have a mortar and pestle make a paste with a pinch of Cayenne and toss it over your cooked pasta with some olive oil. Garlic is a fantastic antiviral and anti-inflammatory herb. Cayenne has been used for years as a nasal decongestant and has been used for centuries to treat asthma, fevers, sore throats, respiratory infections, and digestive problems.
- Take a bath in Thyme or Mama’s Cold & Flu Rescue bath that helps when the body is fighting a cold or flu. Be sure to check out a 2 part audio teaching I did on bathing with Thyme, here.
- Got the stuffy’s and congested? I enjoy using an awesome Organic balm that I make called Mariana’s Winter Balm. It’s gentle but effective for rubbing on a congested chest and feet. I have 3 samples to give away for anyone interested. Please post a comment below by 8pm Friday October 8th 2010. The first 3 comments will be contacted via email and will be mailed a sample within the next 2 weeks. I just ask that you cover $3.99 for packaging and shipping costs. This balm will be available for purchase soon.
- Another fantastic food to keep on hand is Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil does not contain Trans-Fats, is Gluten-Free, Non-Toxic, Hypoallergenic, and contains Antibacterial, Antiviral, Antifungal, and Anti-parasitic healing properties. Coconut oil is a fantastic way to aid and support your overall Immune System functions.
If you would like a 10 ounce container of La Chica Organica’s Coconut Oil you can order by emailing me at LaChicaOrganica@gmail.com. Each container is at an affordable price of just $4. I add a teaspoon to my smoothies 2 times a day. It’s so yummy.
- I also have found that drinking a tea several times a day with 1 or more of my immunity boosting herbs is a wonderful way to stay healthy and aid the body during sickness. But if teas are not your thing or you simply don’t have time you might consider making a tincture like the one in the picture below. A tincture is a liquid extract of an herb. It is made by soaking herbs in a drinkable alcohol. Tinctures are super concentrated herbal concoctions. You only need a few drops several times a day. Tinctures work because they are made in a base of alcohol like Vodka or Brandy which breaks down the herbs and pulls out the medicinal qualities.
You can make these with little to no difficulty and have enough bottles on hand to last you all year for just a fraction of the cost for what you pay for just one 2 ounce bottle at the health food store.
I have created a step by step instructional guide with this kit that comes with 2 bags of organic herbs, 2 glass tincture bottles, labels and two organic cotton muslin bags for straining. The only thing you will have to purchase is your vodka or Brandy. You will also need a jar with a lid for steeping the herbs and a jar with lid to store any extra tincture. I find that re-cycling pasta sauce jars works wonderfully.
Grab this kit while it lasts as it is specially priced for winter and will go quickly. Click here to order
Choose from:
Immunity Rescue – Intense immunity booster with over 8 organic herbs possessing anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.$25
Help my Tummy – fantastic blend or organic herbs that help with stomach upset, gas and indigestion. $25
Nighty Night – A mixture of organic herbs to help you unwind and relax. $25
AstraE (Astragalus & Echinacea) – Immunity booster and viral infection fighter. $25
Fever Assist – made with herbs that promote perspiration which in turn cools the body down resulting in a lowering of fever. $25
**You can also purchase additional tincture bottles for $3 each or four tincture bottles for $11** Click here to order
- If you are really miserable with a flu you can take homeopathic meds which are a fabulous alternative to pharmacy drugs. We love Oscillococcinum. Oscillococcinum (Oscillo®), one of the world’s most popular natural flu medicines, it can reduce the duration and severity of flu-like symptoms when taken at the onset of symptoms. Oscillo works without causing side effects, does not interfere with other medications, and is safe for both children (older than 2 years of age) and adults. For $2 coupons you can use at your pharmacy or grocery store click here
- Clinical studies show that Oscillo reduces the severity and duration of flu symptoms
- Great taste and convenient to take
- No side effects or interactions with other medications
- Good for everyone 2 years of age and older
- Weekly consumption of Vitamin D3 is very important during cold a flu season. You can read about which vitamin D3 to take by clicking here.
- One last thing to remember is that green is good. The more green you consume the better your overall health will be.
That’s all for now.
Signing Off! La Chica Organica
May the Green be with You™
Vitamin D your Superhero – No Flu Vaccines Needed
16 Sep 2010 4 Comments
in Allergies and Asthma, Baby & Child Health, Health News, Vaccinations, vitamin d, Vitamins & Supplements Tags: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, asthma, children, flu, health, Influenza, Influenza vaccine, superhero, Vaccination, vitamin D
If scientists discovered something that worked better than vaccines at preventing influenza, you’d think they would jump all over it, right? After all, isn’t the point to protect children and adults from influenza?
A clinical trial led by Mitsuyoshi Urashima and conducted by the Division of Molecular Epidemiology in the the Department of Pediatrics at the Jikei University School of Medicine Minato-ku in Tokyo found that vitamin D was extremely effective at halting influenza infections in children. The trial appears in the March, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr (March 10, 2010). doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.29094)
The results are from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 334 children, half of which were given 1200 IUs per day of vitamin D3. In other words, this was a “rigorous” scientific study meeting the gold standard of scientific evidence.
In the study, while 31 of 167 children in the placebo group contracted influenza over the four month duration of the study, only 18 of 168 children in the vitamin D group did. This means vitamin D was responsible for an absolute reduction of nearly 8 percent.
Flu vaccines, according to the latest scientific evidence, achieve a 1 percent reduction in influenza symptoms (http://www.naturalnews.com/029641_v…).
This means vitamin D appears to be 800% more effective than vaccines at preventing influenza infections in children.
To further support this, what really needs to be done is a clinical trial directly comparing vitamin D supplements to influenza vaccines with four total groups:
Group #1 receives a vitamin D placebo
Group #2 receives real vitamin D (2,000 IUs per day)
Group #3 receives an influenza vaccine injection
Group #4 receives an inert injection
Groups 1 and 2 should be randomized and double blind while groups 3 and 4 should also be randomized and double blind. The results would reveal the comparative effectiveness of vitamin D versus influenza vaccines.
Unfortunately, such a trial will never be conducted because vaccine pushers already know this trial would show their vaccines to be all but useless. So they won’t subject vaccines to any real science that compares it to vitamin D.
Vitamin D also significantly reduced asthma in children
Getting back to the study, another fascinating result from the trial is that if you remove those children from the study who were already being given vitamin D by their parents, so that you are only looking at children who started out with no vitamin D supplementation before the trial began, the results look even better as vitamin D reduced relative infection risk by nearly two-thirds.
More than six out of ten children who would have normally been infected with influenza, in other words, were protected by vitamin D supplementation.
Also revealed in the study: vitamin D strongly suppressed symptoms of asthma. In children with a previous asthma diagnosis, 12 of those receiving no vitamin D experienced asthma attacks. But in the vitamin D group, only 2 children did.
While this subset sample size is small, it does offer yet more evidence that vitamin D prevents asthma attacks in children, and this entirely consistent with the previous evidence on vitamin D which shows it to be a powerful nutrient for preventing asthma.
Vaccine pushers aren’t followers of real science
Now, given that vitamin D3 shows such a powerful effect in preventing influenza — with 800% increased efficacy over vaccines — shouldn’t CDC officials, doctors and health authorities be rushing to recommend vitamin D before flu season arrives?
Of course they should. But they won’t. Because for them, it’s not about actually preventing influenza and it never has been. The vaccine pushing camp is primarily interested in using influenza as an excuse to vaccinate more people regardless of whether such vaccines are useful (or safe).
Even if vitamin D offered 100% protection against all influenza infections, they still wouldn’t recommend it.
Why? Because they flatly don’t believe in nutrition! It runs counter to their med school programming which says that nutrients are useless and only drugs, vaccines and surgery count as real medicine.
The vaccine pushers, you see, aren’t followers of real science. You could publish a hundred studies proving how vitamin D is many times more effective than vaccines and they still would never recommend it.
They are promoters of medical dogma rather than real solutions for patients. They promote vaccines because… well… that’s what they’ve always promoted, and that’s what their colleagues promote. And how could so many smart people be wrong, anyway?
But that’s the history of science: A whole bunch of really smart people turn out to be wrong on a regular basis. That’s usually how science advances, by the way: A new idea challenges an old assumption, and after all the defenders of the old (wrong) idea die off, science manages to inch its way forward against the hoots and heckles of a determined dogmatic resistance.
This attitude is blatantly reflected in a quote from Dr John Oxford, a professor of virology at Queen Mary School of Medicine in London, whose reaction to this study was: “This is a timely study. It will be noticed by scientists. It fits in with the seasonal pattern of flu. There is an increasing background of solid science that makes the vitamin D story credible. But this study needs to be replicated. If it is confirmed we might think of giving vitamin D at the same time as we vaccinate.” (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/ne…)
Did you notice his concluding remark? He wasn’t even considering the idea that vitamin D might replace vaccines. Rather, he’s assuming vitamin D only has value if given together with vaccines!
You see this in the cancer industry, too, with anti-cancer herbs and nutrients. Any time an anti-cancer nutrient gains some press (which isn’t very often), the cancer doctor will say things like, “Well, this might be useful to give to a patient after chemotherapy…” but never as a replacement for chemo, you see.
Many mainstream doctors and medical scientists are simply incapable of thinking outside the very limiting boxes into which their brains have been shoved through years of de-education in medical schools. When they see evidence contrary to what they’ve been taught, they foolishly dismiss it.
“The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.” – Bertrand Russell
Medical journals as guardians of ignorance
Medical journals largely function not as beacons of scientific truth but as defenders of pseudoscientific dogma. To have your paper published in most journals, your paper must meet the expectations and beliefs of that journal’s editor. Thus, the advancement of scientific knowledge reflected in each journal is limited to the current beliefs of just one person — the editor of that journal.
Truly pioneering research that challenges the status quo is almost always rejected. Only papers that confirm the presently-held beliefs of the journal’s editorial staff are accepted for publication. This is one reason why medical science, in particular, advances so slowly.
Studies that show vitamin D to be more effective than vaccines will rarely see the light of day in the scientific community. It is to the great credit of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in fact, that it accepted the publication of this paper by Mitsuyoshi Urashima. Most medical journals wouldn’t dare touch it because it questions status quo beliefs about vaccines and influenza.
Medical journals, you see, are largely funded by the pharmaceutical industry. And Big Pharma doesn’t want to see any studies lending credibility to vitamins, regardless of their scientific merit. Even if vitamin D could save America billions of dollars in reduced health care costs (which it can, actually), they don’t want vitamin D to receive any scientific backing whatsoever because drug companies can’t patent vitamin D. It’s readily available to everyone for mere pennies a day.
In time, it will be recognized as superior to vaccines for seasonal flu, but for now, we must all suffer under the foolish propaganda of an industry that has abandoned science and now worships a needle.
Sources for this story include:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abs…
by Mike Adams, Natural News
How to eat when you’re on the road?
28 Jun 2010 3 Comments
in Baby & Child Health, Diet & Weight loss, organic food, recipes, Smoothies & Juices Tags: baby food, blender, dip, eat, flu, hummus, kids, organic baby food, pescatorian, pita, plan, protein, road, SICK, summer, trip, tuna, vacation, vegan, vegetarian
It can seem like a daunting task to prepare and package food for a trip especially when you have children. But oh is it important. You don’t want to risk getting sick from eating out in some place you don’t know. Trust me you don’t. I know because it’s happened to us and it’s not pretty to get a stomach flu or a virus complements of the chef or waiter at your local restaurant while on vacation.
Also if you normally take herbal teas, supplements, homeopathic medicine and super food snacks on a daily basis do bring them with you. It will come in handy if you have a medical condition needing treatment like diarrhea or serious bug bites. I have a little travel pack I stuff with dried herbs, homeopathic meds, salves and tinctures. You never know who is going to get ear pain or a fever. You’re also less likely to spend money on last minute gas station junk when you have a cooler in the car with wholesome good drinks and snacks. So whats on the menu when you’re on the road? Here are just a few suggestions:
- Next time you’re out shopping look for some recycled plastic or bamboo cups/plates that are eco and family friendly. Stash them in a bag inside your pantry for quick access before going on a trip. Using recyclable plastic and or bamboo is a much better alternative for your pocket and for the planet.
- Buy Organic raw nuts in bulk then freeze small containers so you can take out before going on a trip. Nuts are fantastic snacks as you can mix them with raw cacao nibs, coconut and many other treats and have a healthy protein packed snack. Nuts can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer and only take about 5 minutes to thaw once removed.
- Pass the pita. I love Organic whole grain pita bread. We pack a cooler with homemade hummus although you can buy awesome organic hummus at your local grocer. Pita is great with tuna, raw veggies and dip, almond butter, chicken, steak, cheese and fruit spreads. Most whole grain or oat pita is loaded with fiber and protein so just eating alone makes for a nutritious meal.
- Take your blender with you and prepare fresh fruit smoothies in your hotel, or if you have a bullet blender you can make great drinks in your car using an adapter. This is worth the purchase price of $20 since you can blend frozen fruit drinks in your car and treat the kids to healthy slushies. Once you arrive to your destination make your smoothies and add some raw nuts or organic protein powder and have a quick, light and nutritious start to your day. Smoothies are a great addition to hot summer days. You can easily bring your produce with you and store in a hotel fridge or freeze at home and carry frozen in a cooler.
-Tuna or bean salad. We make lots of this and take with us since it can easily be scooped into a pita or eaten with crackers. We use Organic soy mayonnaise, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, shaved almonds, shredded carrots and zucchini and some toasted coconut and toasted onions. Mix it all up and you have an awesome quick treat.
- If you eat poultry stop by your local health food market and pick up a box of Organic turkey burgers which are great on a grill, but they can be made on a stove top or oven. If you are vacationing on the beach you can grill these on site depending on what beach you’re visiting. Most beaches have areas for grilling and picnicking.
-If you must eat out do a few searches online before you reach your destination and search for green markets and farmers markets. There are several of them around the country that have nice restaurants attached where you can enjoy vegan, vegetarian, pescatorian or regular organic food at competitive prices.
-If you’re traveling with a baby make your own baby food and pack it in small containers and freeze. That way you can carry the containers with you and when you leave your hotel just take a container with you. Chances are it will thaw out by the time your ready to feed baby. A quick breakfast mix is bananas, apples, peaches and unprocessed organic oatmeal. Blend 3 bananas, 1 apple, one peach and half a cup of oatmeal with 6 ounces of distilled water. I add in a few drops of lime or lemon juice to avoid oxidation. Pour in your containers once blended and freeze. For lunch you can do 6 ounces of organic sodium free vegetable broth, half a cup of raw baby spinach, one cup of sweet peas and carrots cooked but not overcooked. You can add in a small piece of chicken if you like or lean beef. Blend and freeze.
Whatever you decide I hope you have a wonderful summer with your family. Make the best of the time together since it passes so quickly.
Getting back to Living Life not just participating in an assembly line
25 Jun 2010 4 Comments
in Baby & Child Health, Stress, Words for the Soul Tags: bake, balance, believe, care, convictions, corporate america, die, flu, funeral, goals, God, heart, iphone, kids, legacy, life, love, matters, monitor, office, orphanage, robot, savor, SICK, society, what, why, work
My Dad in white t with his brothers
When we hear Organic and Holistic it’s often speaking of food and health. And if you’ve read my blog you know I am all about Organic food and a holistic approach to life. But being that I am still a bit melancholy from Fathers Day (I lost my dad suddenly not to long ago), I wanted to take a different spin on the meaning of Organic and Holistic.
We are very concerned about how and what we eat and sometimes this falls out of balance with how we are living. Yes it’s absolutely necessary to eat Organic food and be conscious of our world and not be wasteful but as human beings that are rapidly going through the motions of daily life we can forget about living and savoring the beautiful things that life tosses at us. We can also forget about resting in times of sickness and sharing smiles instead of screams with our ever curious children.
When I think of my dad he was a man of great convictions that did not have his arm twisted easily. He stood up passionately for what he believed in. He played hard and rested hard too!
I remember his #1 pet peeve was: If you’re sick and not well you have no business going to work. Your place is in bed with a hot cup of tea until you get better. That way you’re letting your body rest and you’re also avoiding the possibility of getting others sick if you have something contagious.
Now; I sit in my little office and I look across the hall at times. I sit in my car and I look outside. I sit in church and my eyes wander to people hurriedly bustling through hallways trying to make it on time, coughing sneezing, and feeling ill.
Most of them are miserable and usually in a not so good mood but they stood up that day when the teacher called their name for attendance if you know what I mean.
So they go home only to feel worse and then after a few days of mindless neglect they have a sore throat and flu. Now they really have to rest but they decide its best to take antibiotics because God forbid they miss a day of work to care for their body.
This whole time their co-workers get exposed to sickness and to a moody person, their families get the backlash and their poor bodies have no defense so a flu that would take maybe 1 to 2 weeks to go away drags on for a month or more.
Why????
Again, why is it that we have a problem with stopping the turning tables and just crashing into our beds? Who is going to die if you miss a day of work? Corporate America will still be there when you return. But what doesn’t stay the same is your body and the relationships you damage when you’re under stress and let them all have it.
What happened to the days of when people went home for lunch for 2 hours during the day and children were sent home also to eat with their parents. Now we are lucky if our poor little kids get a decent 20 minutes to scarf down their food and then we wonder why our kids are sick.
Why don’t we care about our overall well being anymore? What happened to our society why these values for life have drifted far away from us?
In our desire to be Y2K compliant and iPhone savvy we have become a robot culture. We zip through life as if we were cats with 9 replaceable lives to live. So if one goes down the drain its OK we have another one to spare.
But we don’t have 9 lives and yes our gadgets are important and our homes are important and our church or extracurricular activities are important BUT and I say a big BUT.
But what if we have all the gadgets, do all the activities, attend all the outings, buy the latest hi-tech family time robbing phone, work the 40 or 50 hrs a week and in the end we loose our soul, we loose our family and even our health???
What’s the point then?
You worked really hard to achieve all the goals that other people thought you should be attaining. You never missed work, you bought your kids anything and everything they asked for if you could and you were always there to attend a meeting or social gathering, but now you’re on your death bed, panting for breath.
You maybe have one of your children next to you (the one that is not bitter about you ignoring him all his life to be in the office). You manage to slur out, “Sorry son, if I could do it all over again I would have spent more time with you and your mom and brothers, I would have cared more about establishing relationships instead of buying them. I am really sorry I hope you can forgive me, better yet I hope I will get out of this and live to change how I have been……………….”
Beep-beep-beep-beep, no heart rate, no moving on the monitor, dads gone and with him are his dreams, hopes and aspirations.
Now tell me honestly. Do you think that’s right?
I don’t, it makes me furious that we have taught our children as a fast paced society to rush through life and win every game cause that’s what’s important. We have taught our kids that its important to buy the latest toy and care little for the boy or girl that drags his toy from a garbage dump because that’s the place he calls home.
What’s wrong with that picture?
Why don’t we care about spending time at home and baking brownies with our kids on a Tuesday because they are home sick and we aren’t feeling so great ourselves? Now of course in our house it’s more like raw super food brownies but you get the point!
Why is it a punishable crime to offer to pray for someone in a public place when you see they are hurting and you may not know them but can see there is pain on their face?
Why is it that in America employers think they own you and that you better not dare use your sick time because you’ll be reprimanded if your out one to many times to care for sick babies?
Why don’t we bake cakes and goodies to take over to our neighbors house when they first settle in, instead we drive past and act like they are not even there?
Why do we save all our money to stay in a posh hotel with our kid’s instead of taking a trip to a developing country and volunteering in an orphanage as a family?
My fingers are hot – I could write for hours but I will stop here. I just have a few questions for you and I hope that you will consider them and really decide if you need to make any changes in your life before the clock stops and you’re walking down that tunnel.
1-When you’re on your deathbed, what are the things you would like to have accomplished and what are the things that you would like to have taught your children?
2-How many people do you think will stand up at your funeral and say how your humility and simplicity in life inspired them?
3-How many poor hurting souls will mourn your loss because you were a person that cared about punching a hole out of a poverty stricken world not just punching a time clock at work everyday?
4-When its all said and done and you have breathed your last breath, where will you spend eternity or the afterlife?
5-Will you have left a “legacy of love” to your children or a legacy of “work as hard as you can, spend on what you wish and who cares about everybody else”.
Who's saying what