My stepmom, Mary is a witch doctor. At least, in our family that this. She is positively the one person you want around when you are under the weather or going thru any health crisis. She is just the mixture between nurturing and medical know-how.
The first time I ever learned about Mary, I was 4 years old. My Dad ran our families golf course in Michigan at the time. There was a very cute, turquoise bear sitting on the edge of the bar, next to the dining room. I thought it was for me, of course. My Dad said it was for his friend Mary who was in the hospital. This friend of my Dad's would also become mine. I was shy when I was little, painfully so. But, I remember very clearly meeting Mary for the first time. She was sitting at a banquet table at a busy event at the golf course, wearing a tan blazer and jeans. When my Dad introduced us, I climbed right up onto her lap-which was unheard of in those days. I suppose we just clicked from day one, and I am so thankful to have her as my third parent today.
Mary went thru her own health crisis in those days when a tumor was found in the calf muscles of one of her legs. She had dozens of surgeries and bouts of radiation. Maybe she was already health-conscious, but her experience made her evenmore so. She delved into natural medicine, homeopathy and natural and organic foods WAY before Whole Foods was a household name.
I hated it. In my lunches at YMCA summer camp, I always had fruit leathers when the other kids had fruit roll ups. When they were eating JIF, I was stuck with 100% smashed peanuts and oil. Every cold and sickness was treated at home, with her books and homeopathic box. One summer weekend, on our way to Vail, I began to feel very sick, you know, "the throw up feeling." Mary, who always carries a medicine bag with her, dropped some tincture into my mouth and we continued up the canyon. Moments later though, we had to pull over so I could vomit.
And that was that.
I felt better the rest of the weekend.
Homeopathic medication works by promoting the process it is already attempting. If you have a fever, it helps your body reach the fever point faster. If you feel nauseau, it promotes the vomiting to occur faster. The opposite of homeopathic is allopathic medicine, which is most common here in the west. Allopathic philosophy treats the body with the opposite of what the body is doing/ If you have a fever, it looks to bring the fever down. If nauseaus, it looks to lessen it.
Both have their place, and who's to say if one is better than the other? Perhaps a balance of both is optimal, at least that's what I do today.
This past Monday, I awoke at 2 am sicker than a dog. My stomach muscles became sore fast from the intense vomiting my body was adminstering. I needed Mary. As usual, she pulled through and today I am better. And better than I was before.
A couple of years ago, when my little sister was sick, Mary was saying that she read that sickness often comes at a time when we on the verge of a new developmental stage. I thought this may be 'witch doctor' talk at the time, but I certainly believe it now. Maybe all that sickness does is make us appreciate our health and the energy we have for the everyday of life.
At one point of Monday, I wondered if I was dying. I really did, and I think the cashier at 7-11 did too, when I slowly made my way to the register with my vitamin water. That one block walk seemed like an eternity, and so did just a hobble from the bed to the couch. This morning, for the first time in AGES, I worked out....probably just because I CAN.
I turned 29 last week, and I could feel it. I felt the developmental shift, I swear. It's a good feeling, 29 is. Strong and mature, it feels like a good bit of life learning is under my belt. I feel like an adult, in that, I realize that ultimately it's my life and really only I know what's best for me. I've always known that, but for whatever reason, I seem to really know now.
So,
Thank you 29, thank you Mary, thank you body.
p.s. Happy May!
