On Healing.
Sitting with tears streaming down my cheeks, I wonder how it is possible for a species to destroy itself. Has that happened anywhere, anytime, to any other species on this planet besides our own? If any species has neared extinction, records show that climate, natural disasters or other species, ie predators, parasites or pathogens were the causes. Never have we ever documented a case like the one humanity faces today. We are killing each other, one by one, indirectly, directly, unintentionally and with very clear intent. Our model: addiction. Our method: food. Or what we like to call food. When in reality, we are manufacturing poison, posed and poised as consumables, edibles, bites, nosh, snacks, treats…and most of the key players or designers of these items have a very uneducated perspective on the severity of these poisons. “Everything in moderation” seems to still win. But that winner, is killing us. Fast. No longer are we able to say we’re old and therefore getting sick. Nowadays, we young ones are chronically ill, diagnosed with multiple disorders, diseases, metabolic syndrome and more. It’s a vicious cycle that must come to a harsh and hard hault. But how? My answer is not simple but one thing I know for sure is that the first ingredient to the healing of our species is connection to Earth.
My tears flow for my aunty. She just had her foot amputated a few hours ago. First it was a toe, now her foot. She has had diabetes for over 40 years. She has made healthy changes but they clearly haven’t been enough. My primary emotions are sadness and anger. I mourn the loss of her limb and the grief that she herself is experiencing. I am angered because much of her suffering was preventable. I am angered because she was told lies by people who are supposed to have the right and best answers. I am angered because she is just one very special human in my life out of dozens, who I personally will witness their continued suffering over the next decade and beyond. Suffering that will cause not only physical pain, but emotional, spiritual, financial and communal pain. So what gives besides our own well-being and livelihoods that are lost and compromised due to our chronic ill health? What sacrifices must be made to prevent this suffering?
The sacrifice is time. As abstract of a concept it is, time allows us healing. But we must choose to spend our time differently. It is time to learn and reconnect with Earth. We must understand our relationship to her and the lessons there are to be had in every interaction with her. Touch the soil. Pull a carrot out of the ground. Inspect it. Smell it. Watch the cattle graze. Bear witness of their cycles with the land, the water and the sky. All of these stories are relative to us. Yet we refuse to listen. We refuse to step outside of our concrete jungle in order to understand where our dis-ease comes from. Or we try to step outside of the so-called rat race, and we fail because we have bills to pay and food to buy.
Connection with Earth can heal us. And the sacrifice of time can mean many things. Choosing new friends, letting go of old ones; choosing new food lifestyles, rejecting old ones; learning to cook with your community and rebelling against the commodity fast food market; taking time to taste and enjoy water instead of perpetuating our body’s addiction to sugary, ultra-processed drinks. These choices are not easy for everyone. The advice of “baby steps” is so real! We can’t just flip everything inside out and upside down in a day or even a month, and suddenly become perfect and cured. So consider taking those baby steps with one or two changes that you really, really desire. Healing, reconnection to ancestral ways, it all takes time. My aunty’s time seems to have run out. Her changes weren’t enough. But I don’t blame her. I see the systems that are in place and I fight them every day. Not just for myself but for her, and all my relatives who struggle with making changes.
I hope we can break these painful cycles. I hope that instead of asking who will suffer next, we can sing, who will thrive next? Who will celebrate health next? Who will reject old, harmful habits and create new, joyous ones in their place? If you are suffering from chronic conditions, I urge you to reach out to someone. Your doctor, a friend, a neighbor, your spouse. Find people who will support you in your healing. Pay attention to the animals and the nature that follow you everywhere you go. See what they do and how they move and gather. Nature will win. No matter what. You are nature. You come directly from her. Treat your whole self as if every cell of your being were connected to the deepest roots of this Earth. Stop suffocating your own nature. Start living with Earth. Hold her hand. Let her guide you. She is ready to be your best friend. If you don’t know where to start, just make a call. Send a text. The journey is never ending but Earth will always hold you up. Listen, and you’ll hear her calling your name. And as my aunty always says, after you make a commitment and start on your journey, “Call your spirit back four times," so you can continue living, loving, growing and transforming into your highest self, serving humanity, sharing your gifts and healing each generation as they come.
