Testimonials

Reflecting on a questionnaire sent to me by the "Sister Study," an organization that tracks occurrence of cancer among siblings, I sent the following email:

Hello, Sister Study folks,

I am 84-and-a-half years young.

I have been filling out Sister Study questionnaires since my younger sister died of cancer more than 20 years ago.

I continue to reply "No" to most of the questions regarding cancer and other debilitating conditions, because I've either not experienced them or because I prefer alternative and complementary approaches to care for myself and my family members.

I do not understand a questionnaire that focuses almost exclusively on medical conditions and pharamaceutical or surgical treatments. An orientation toward health requires questions regarding lifestyle, including choices of the food one eats and the company that one keeps, to say nothing of the thoughts we entertain.

Nutrition and the quality of relationships matter greatly to maintenance of one's health. But the basis of health is kindness toward oneself. Can we not reorient toward learning skills of self-care and gratitude for the life we have been gifted? When we shift our thought processes away from rigid negative beliefs and judgments aimed at one self and others, our mental health improves. The physical body follows suit. 

It's not rocket science. The physical body reflects one's state of mind. What we subject ourselves to in the way of everyday practices either depletes or supports the energy we bring to our lives. 

No life is without challenges. Yet, those of us who know the simple truth that a change of feelings held within the heart changes everything. We do what we can to not shrink from encounters with apparently insurmountable challenges that are bound to be presented over the course of a life.

Pharmaceuticals and surgical solutions are the last place I look for coherence and balance in my life.

During my professional career as a clinical social worker, I observed profound shifts among individuals who had suffered physical, mental and emotional abuse as children as they opened their hearts to new possibilities. Most notably, they stopped subjecting themselves to the surgeon's scalpel, dropped addictions, eased up on medications, saw love as it was reflected in the eyes of their family members and looked in the mirror toward a brighter future.

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My sweet sister, Marj, 1941-2002