The Gift of Health

Wow! Is it really March, 2012?? The few times I have taken a break from blogging, it amazes me how quickly time passes...how fleeting. A blog entry may stand still to represent a moment or day in time, but our lives continue to march on. Even though I haven't been blogging, I have been journaling and I have continued to reflect on the gifts I have been given...the gifts I see with fresh eyes as a result of being on this healing journey.

One of the gifts for which I am so deeply thankful is my health. Prior to dealing with illness, I didn't understand the gift of health...the fact that my health was truly an amazing gift that could be here today and gone tomorrow. I assumed I would always be healthy, and if I got sick...well, there would be a pill of some sort that would put me back on my feet. Any illness that couldn't be solved with a round of antibiotics or a prescription was unthinkable...I just didn't even let my mind go there.

Speaking of prescriptions, I had been so blessed with health; I was thirty years old when my first antibiotic was prescribed. Really!! I had hardly ever been sick! I had been given the gift of health but didn't realize the priceless nature of this gift. I was somehow lulled into thinking that I would always be healthy, and the "rules" of taking care of yourself didn't apply to me.

My schedule was pack...I played hard and worked hard. I allowed by body to endure too much stress and I pushed it way too hard. I didn't listen to it's pleas for rest. I just drank another cup of coffee (to get a good old fashion dose of caffeine) and kept pushing. My body was just along for the ride. I didn't see my body as a vital part of me that needed attention, and needed to be heard. My body was there to serve me and allow me to do what I wanted to do. Wow! It makes me sad just writing those words.

As far as caring for my body with nutrition, well, I must admit...I didn't eat the best foods on a consistent basis. Even though I am a Registered Dietitian, and I know how to eat right. I allowed my schedule and to-do-list to dictate how I fed my body. I often chose foods that I could grab quickly to accommodate my schedule rather than take the time to prepare or eat what was optimal for my body.

I am not saying I would not have contracted lyme disease had I taken better care of my body. However, I have been forced to follow the "rules of health," and make my health a priority in order for my body to heal. I no longer live under the delusion that the "rules" don't apply to me. I know the rules apply to me...I won't escape the health consequences if I try to accomplish things I see as important to the detriment of my own body. I have had to apologize to my body for the lack of sleep, stress and mishap eating...for not listening to it.

No, I am not 100% back to my normal health. Yes, I am still working with doctors and continue to have health concerns, but I continue to improve and get stronger. I now see any measure of health I gain or enjoy as an amazing gift. This last year has been about enjoying this gift, and learning to balance the needs of my body with the activity and craziness of life. Sometimes you don't know the value of a gift until it is gone.