In sickness and in health
Today's task:Quotation Inspiration. Find a quote that inspires you (either positively or negatively) and free write about it for 15 minutes.
But I really want to spend a moment or two on the last quote, "health is not valued until sickness comes." There are a few reasons why this quote is important. For one, it underlines how critical it is to participate in preventive care. It is only when we break a leg that we realize how easily we walk, drive or kick a ball every day. It is only when diagnosed with diabetes that we realize what an easy time we had eating whatever food was available at whatever time was convenient assuming our body will do the job of regulating our blood sugar.
The opposite is true as well. Sick people or people in pain forget what it is to be healthy. This weekend I actually had some respite from pain I've been in for about 18 months now. I had forgotten how many things I just chose not to do or participate in because it hurts all the time. I had been putting off the simple act of repotting some plants because getting the bag of dirt out was simply too difficult and too heavy. What a joy it is to not worry about pain or injury with every twist and turn of the day.
So the message from this quote is to celebrate each day, particularly if you are healthy. Be smart about staying healthy. Eat that apple a day, be smart about the food you put in your body and be smart about getting exercise. Get those preventive screenings, wear sunscreen and wash your hands. Breathe deeply and be thankful.
Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.- Mark Twain
America's Health care system is neither healthy, caring, nor a system.- Walter Cronkite
Health is not valued till sickness comes.- Thomas Fuller
The quote by Mark Twain simply made me laugh out loud and I had to include it. Although he did not live long enough to see the Internet (1835-1910), I imagine the quote is truer today than ever. We have a wealth of health information at our fingertips, but it can just as easily be misinformation.
Walter Cronkite's quote is a tough pill to swallow (pun intended) but I believe he is accurate in the description. Healthcare is seen as nameless and faceless. Big corporations, private organizations all of whom are trying to capitalize on the almighty dollar. It may seem that way from the outside, but I can tell you from firsthand experience that there are many caring people trying to do the right thing on the inside.But I really want to spend a moment or two on the last quote, "health is not valued until sickness comes." There are a few reasons why this quote is important. For one, it underlines how critical it is to participate in preventive care. It is only when we break a leg that we realize how easily we walk, drive or kick a ball every day. It is only when diagnosed with diabetes that we realize what an easy time we had eating whatever food was available at whatever time was convenient assuming our body will do the job of regulating our blood sugar.
The opposite is true as well. Sick people or people in pain forget what it is to be healthy. This weekend I actually had some respite from pain I've been in for about 18 months now. I had forgotten how many things I just chose not to do or participate in because it hurts all the time. I had been putting off the simple act of repotting some plants because getting the bag of dirt out was simply too difficult and too heavy. What a joy it is to not worry about pain or injury with every twist and turn of the day.
So the message from this quote is to celebrate each day, particularly if you are healthy. Be smart about staying healthy. Eat that apple a day, be smart about the food you put in your body and be smart about getting exercise. Get those preventive screenings, wear sunscreen and wash your hands. Breathe deeply and be thankful.
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