search
By: Rosanne Mondrone, Director of Community Relations
“Heal yourself with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon. With the sound of the river and the waterfall. With the swaying of the sea and the fluttering of birds. Heal yourself with mint, neem and eucalyptus. Sweeten with lavender, rosemary and chamomile. Hug yourself with cocoa bean and a hint of cinnamon. Put love in tea instead of sugar and drink it looking at the stars. Heal yourself with the kisses the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain. Stand strong with your bare feet on the ground and with everything that comes from it. Be smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with your forehead. Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier. Heal yourself, with beautiful love and always remember…You are the medicine.” Maria Sabina, Mexican healer and poet.
This time of year, is exciting and interesting to me in so many ways. Spring always fills my spirit with new life and enthusiasm. As the earth awakens from a long, dark, winter I too awake and ponder many ideas that come to my heart. As the world is reflecting on the dark chasm from which we are now emerging, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
Passover, a beautiful reflection of God’s love, saving His people from slavery and bondage and eternal death. The reasons we celebrate Passover are very different. Jews celebrate a time of victory over slavery and bondage while Christians celebrate victory over death, never to have to experience death again. There are no rights or wrongs in Passover, only perceptions of why we worship.
As the angel of death passed over us this year, we are slowly putting together our perceptions of all we experienced. Conversations have emerged at home and in the work place of who sacrificed the most; those that worked on site every day or those who stayed home in their safe environments; those who worked on the front lines or those who struggled with isolation and fear or those who succumbed to violence, addictions and financial ruin. There are so many perceptions of who suffered the most. The fact is we have all suffered enormous amounts of fear and anguish in many different ways. The most important thing we can do for each other, is to be there without judgement and give all we can give. We must consistently support and foster environments of care, love and fairness. Our health and healing, personally and collectively, depends on our ability to show and give gratitude.
This time of year, it’s easy to be reminded of all that was sacrificed for us. Whether it was a deliverance from bondage and slavery or the forgiveness of our sins, we spend this time remembering so we continue to grow in love and gratitude. History has mapped out numerous accounts of nations and peoples suppressed by horrible tragedies. Their victories should be our guide as the pandemic of 2020 falls into their lineage.
We must remember we are not an island to ourselves. We need each other for strength and guidance to move forward. We depend on the wisdom and counsel of our predecessors and leaders for motivation. Sometimes it’s not always clear so we must know we have all the strength and power we need to succeed within us, after all, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul.” Mark 8:36 KJV. Remember “You are the Medicine”.
Each person is unique, with their...
When you or a loved one is...
When you have a loved one in...
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a term we often...
As we age, we face plenty of...
Managing a COPD diagnosis is never easy. ...
Each person is unique, with their own needs. Something we all have in common, though? We ALL need to...
rEAD mORE
When you or a loved one is aging, there are a lot of unknowns. You know a lot of what...
rEAD mORE
When you have a loved one in a senior care home, bringing everyone together for the holidays can feel complicated....
rEAD mORE