Do You Want To Get Well?

I think we all know of someone we love who has some injury or illness and will do nothing to make it better. 'ah, it's nothing' is the response or 'yeah, I'll make the appointment' is the promise. However, it is never 'nothing' and the promise is a lie. Perhaps it is the fear of finding out the truth that something just MAY be wrong and something HAS to be done. Regardless, for those of us who go through the endless begging, pleading, nagging, threatening and crying to get the person we love to DO SOMETHING, the truth is, there is nothing we can do or say to make it happen.

For those of you familiar with the Bible, I will use a particular scripture as an example of the 'Do Nothing About It' experience (and if you are not familiar with the Bible, well, then, you'll learn something new!).

In John 5:1-15, Jesus is travelling along and comes to a healing pool where all sorts of sick and lame come to be healed. There he meets a man who has been an invalid for the last 38 years. After hearing his story and learning how long he had been there, Jesus asks him the most simple yet profound of questions: "Do you want to get well?" The man does not say 'YES!! I do!!'. Instead he launches into a litany of excuses 'there is no one to help me...' (did he ask for help?), 'people get in my way! (tell them to move!)' Jesus must clearly find his excuses weak because he then says, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." Thankfully, the guy does what Jesus says... not sure why. Perhaps he had a moment of clarity and saw his pathetic, excuse-making self and thought 'oh man... this is a terrible way to exist.'

The story doesn't indicate how this man became an invalid. This is not like other Jesus miracles, where he laid his hands on the lame and they walk or spit in the eyes of the blind and they see. He just calls the man out on the fact that his 'paralysis' is seemingly self-inflicted. Speaking plainly seemed to be the trick to get the man to finally, after nearly four decades, to be 'cured' and to GET UP.

I am a fan of speaking plainly in the fashion of Jesus & have used this approach many times. Unfortunately, the plain speech has been taken by the receiver as an unloving and mean spirited attack. However, speaking plainly and truthfully is the most loving thing one can do. I mean, really...how loving is it to not speak the truth and feed the denial?

The primary symptoms of the afflicted are obvious by the afflicted person's complaint ('my stomach is killing me', 'my back is on fire', 'I slept about an hour last night'). The secondary symptoms, which are complications that arise from the primary symptoms, are also obvious, (though we may choose to turn a blind eye to them): moodiness, irritability, depression, extreme selfishness, withdrawing from people, lack of affection. In a nutshell, the primary symptoms affect everything in the afflicted person's life including the people around them and their relationships.

A continual lack of response from the one who is toxic can become toxic to you as well and at times, the best thing may be to walk away. It might feel like you are giving up or not being loving. The truth is, you are really only hurting yourself, which in turn, will hurt the afflicted even more (I think in the shrink world, they call that 'Co-Dependancy'). I always think of the flight attendant who instructs us: 'put the oxygen mask on yourself first before assisting the needs of others.'

Learn from experience: nagging, pleading, threatening and crying have proven ineffective. You can't fix anyone or force them to do what they are unwilling to do. You can, however, do the most loving thing of all... Put the oxygen mask on yourself first before turning to the afflicted and asking "Do you want to get well?" You never know... they just might get up.

The Malnourishment of the Contented Soul

I recently read a series of interviews in an article regarding long-term relationships, marriage or otherwise, and the various thoughts on how keep the long-term just that. My eyes grazed across the word 'nourish', and saw it as a continuing theme throughout the article. It made enough sense: Fail to give any living organism the nourishment it needs to survive and surely it will die. Similarly, neglect to nourish your relationship with what it needs and it, too, will slowly perish.

As I read on my brow furrowed at the thought of just how unnecessary malnourishment truly is... in relationships, work, health... mind, body, soul. Everything. This lack of nourishment in life is preventable, yet still remains a chronic problem. Why is that? Is life just too hard to deal with such a seemingly simple task? Besides, who wants to wither like a dried out plant, anyway?

Such self-destructive behavior is puzzling and angering when we see it in others.

Yet, we all do it:

we work too much

we don't feel great, but ignore symptoms of illness, forget to schedule a doctor's appointment or figure we'll 'get around to it'

we stop kissing, hugging, holding hands or even having sex with our significant other

we really do forget to feed the plants

love becomes a word, not an action anymore

we order fast food instead of cooking

we take the people we love for granted

we don't wash the car, the house, the clothes

we sleep in instead of getting up for a morning workout

we (maybe) drink too much...

Then, one day, we stop... for whatever reason... and we take a good look around:

the house is a mess
the plants are dead
we're fat and weak
we're sick
we're alone
we are sad

We are starving.

This is the point where choice comes in. You could a) decide that you will nourish yourself back to a wonderful & fulfilling life one drop at a time or b) turn off the light, turn on the tv and forget you saw anything at all.

Choice a) takes time, work, sacrifice and consistent nourishment.

Choice b) is easier, lazier, unhealthy and selfish.

I believe in change. I believe in forgiveness of ourselves and of one another. I believe in recovery and most of all & with all my heart, I believe we were created to live a wonderful and fulfilling life.


Nourish yourselves...

Live a wonderful and fulfilling life...

Choose a).

MELT by the Five Mile River

This past Saturday brought a new venture my way via the Rowayton River Ramble. I set up a little MELTing place in the gazebo by the river at Pinkney Park in Rowayton, CT. The event, the annual Rowayton River Ramble, hosts a variety of vendors and fun and games for children... and there were a lot of children!

Busy mothers would break away from the line for the pony ride, leaving the wee ones with dad, to check out my curious set up. They were all impressed with the changes that just a few minutes of treating their feet could produce.

And the day... well, it was one of the most beautiful days and the setting was perfect. I know that I sure felt relaxed, calm... and MELTed.

Thank you to all of those who stopped by!