THE HEALING POWER OF...

I was reading in a "Body and Soul" magazine today that flowers can hasten healing. Apparently a study of patients recovering from surgery discovered that those who had plants in their rooms had less anxiety and fatigue, as well as other benefits such as lower blood pressure and less pain medication. It said that since we evolved in natural settings that a lack of contact with nature "may create tension". This is according to John Davis, Ph.D, Naropa University professor of psychology.

So, it is not just that they look beautiful but they are passing on a healing benefit to us as well. This makes sense to me especially at this time when I have been experiencing tests regarding my thyroid. I have found myself very emotional where I can just break out in tears at the drop of a hat if I allow myself to dwell on the "what ifs". I received my biopsy results on Monday and it looks as if I will have to have surgery. An appointment in being scheduled with a surgeon and I am hoping to postpone it until after I return home from my vacation to the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. This trip has been planned for over a year and I just do not want to miss it. My doctor seems to think that it will make no difference at all if I wait and so I am taking him for his word.

Anxiety can play havoc on your system, that's for sure. Perhaps that is why I have been focusing so much on flowers, trees, and scenery of late. I knew that these items where making me feel better; I just didn't know that there was a study showing me WHY. Louise Hay, a self-help teacher has a theory that she lives by which is "If it doesn't make her feel good, she doesn't do it anymore". Great advice. And that got me to thinking about blogs in general.

There are some blogs that you go to and they are simply self-promoting and narcissistic. I hate to be rude about it (and I suppose it is also up to the individual to choose which blogs they enjoy and which they don't and certainly, there is room for everything) but they just don't appeal to me. I seem to follow those people who have their pages filled with nourishing thoughts and ideas; they are my "flowers" in the fields of blogs. The good mood that I get from reading these blogs creates a positive flow through me that I take with me throughout my entire day.

I never really gave conscious thought to writing a list of five things that I had noticed that enhanced my day. Sounds that I hear, things that I see, smells that remind me of present and past memories. And taste and touch? Well, those too were always so general to me. Sure, I am aware of how all these senses affect me personally but I never thought about writing them down, as a sort of devotional, a "book of thanks" so to speak. I am so thankful to have found people who have made me more aware of what I should be thankful for each and every moment. It is, most often, the insignificant small things that we take for granted. By giving ourselves these simple, daily pleasures we feed our souls and nourish ourselves.

The photos that I view on a daily basis, the words that I read, allow me to become more in tune with what is really important to me. I think that I am slowly enabling myself to take part in Louise Hay's philosophy of "if it doesn't feel good, don't do it". Pleasure should be a priority, right? All too often, we put ourselves last on the list. Remember back to when we were children? Each day was a discovery of sorts. We never worried about what we were going to do tomorrow or how things would work out. We LIVED TO PLAY. Remember how summer used to feel like it could go on forever? These are all things that we did before life got too hectic and filled with responsibilities.

I say, on this up-coming Mother's Day, we should vow to write a list of things that put a smile on our faces and then do at least one of them every day (if not more). I know that one of the things that will be high on my list is checking in to all my favorite blogs and getting my "fix". After all: it is one of my pleasures that doesn't cost anything, is not complicated and takes up just a bit of my time. This, I think, is time well spent. It is an investment in my sanity and I owe it to myself. Thank you all for making my "happy account" filled to over-flowing. And, Happy Mother's Day to all those women (even if they are not mothers) who create beauty and joy in other's lives. You are giving birth to something so vitally important and for that, you should all be commended.