The first month of the new year is at an end. There are only 11 months more to go. They will fly by, as always. This is a good time to take stock of the first month we’ve just used up, and think carefully about how to make the most of the next few months. Are you satisfied with how January turned out? Did anything meaningful, positive or constructive come out of it? Did you build bridges, or burn them?

When I was younger, I never gave much thought to how I lived my days. I had my whole life ahead of me, so I just let the years pass. When you think about it, every day of life is actually incredibly precious, so we should invest them wisely. If we fritter them away, they are wasted – gone forever. If we spend them on things that really matter, like family, health, a strong, spiritual foundation, and building good experiences and memories, we will be on solid ground when the storms come. And they will come.

A relative in Britain sent me a poem written by a terminally-ill young girl. When she wrote it, she knew she would never make it to the prom, graduate from high school, get married or have a family of her own. She wanted to remind everyone to live life to the fullest, because she never will. Here’s what she wrote:

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down
Don’t dance so fast
Time is short
The music won’t last
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast
Time is short
The music won’t last
Ever told your child
“We’ll do it tomorrow”
And in your haste
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch
Let a good friendship die
‘Cause you never had time
To call and say “Hi”?
You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast
Time is short
The music won’t last
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there
When you worry and hurry through your day
It’s like an unopened gift
Thrown away.
Life is not a race
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Last night, I watched a video starring Richard Gere about a middle-aged man who decided to take dance lessons because he wanted to bring some joy into his humdrum life. Dancing made him happy. Sharing his new-found passion with his wife also made their marriage richer. Joy has been proven to add quality and quantity to life. My family and some relatives were at the kite festival yesterday, enjoying the spectacle of the sky filled with beautiful kites, and flying our own kites. At one point, my cousin turned to me beaming as we flew our kites side by side, commenting that kite-flying was such a relaxing, happy experience. It’s the last day of the kite festival today. Guess where I’m off to next?

Posted: January 31st, 2010 under Health Basics 101, Healthy Spirit.
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My husband finally flew his new kite recently. His cousin and young son had popped by for tea. It was a lovely, windy day, so we decided to go to the field nearby to try out the new kite. We knew that our guests were weighed down by many cares, as the past year had been extremely difficult for them as a family. It had been two years since our nephew had last gone kite-flying, and he missed it so.

Getting the kite up into the sky wasn’t easy, but how we laughed at each other’s antics as we tried. When the kite finally soared up into the sky, it was a wonderful feeling. There’s just something so liberating about kite-flying. Sheer delight wells up within you as the kite climbs higher. For a while, you’re a child again, carefree and happy.

We enjoyed the cool breeze and fresh air while we were out kite-flying. It was so relaxing and therapeutic to feel the wind blowing through our hair and caressing our skin. We were even blessed to see a rainbow in the sky. To think we would have missed all that had we stayed indoors. We had a good time together. It was particularly rewarding to see our little nephew laugh, and his mom smile.

Kite-flying is good medicine for the spirit as well as the body. A regular dose of kite-flying should be what the doctor ordered. There’s a kite festival on next Sunday near my home. Like to come along with me?

Posted: January 27th, 2010 under Exercise & Fitness, Healthy Spirit.
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Being sick sucks. It takes its toll on your body as well as your quality of life. Chronic diseases like cancer are particularly destructive. When you’re ill for a prolonged period, there is a tendency to avoid socialising and going out. You find yourself neglecting your appearance as the sickness dominates your life. When your body is being ravaged by illness, what’s the point of bothering with skincare, make-up or clothes, right?

A pastor from my church once advised me not to allow cancer to monopolise my every waking moment. If I did, it would consume me. I would become whatever I fed my mind and spirit with. He advised me to cast my cares – including the disease – on Jesus, and get on with my life. I should try to live and enjoy life as normally as possible.

Interestingly, the National Cancer Centre runs a beauty workshop for women who have or are recovering from cancer. The programme is aptly called “Look Good, Feel Better” and the logic behind it is simple: if you think you look good, you’ll feel better. It’s a form of cancer therapy. Beauty advisors volunteer their time and expertise to show participants how to look after their skin and how to apply and remove make-up. Participants are even taught how to pluck their eyebrows, match colors and how to use scarves and headgear in stylish ways to disguise any hair-loss from chemotherapy.

I saw the program in action for myself a couple of weeks ago. The youngest participant was 32 years old while the oldest was close to 80. The former had been told that she had terminal stage 4 cancer. To top it off, her husband was divorcing her. When she arrived at the workshop, she was quiet and withdrawn. She was obviously embarrassed by her appearance, as she had lost most of her hair, and was bloated and pigmented from the cancer treatment.

It was unanimous. Everyone decided that this dear lady would be our ‘model’. As the beauty advisor helped her apply her make-up, we complimented her on her beautiful skin. A slight smile lifted the corners of her mouth. Then, when another beauty advisor tied scarves in different ways on her head, or tried out a jaunty hat on her, we teased her about how pretty or how cute she looked. That brought a big smile to her face. Her demeanour changed and she positively glowed.

If only for a while, that young lady’s confidence went up several notches. Hopefully, she has not lost interest in her new-found beauty routine. It was so good to see her smile. Doctors don’t know everything. If she keeps her spirits up, she may very well defeat the monster in her body. I’m praying for her.

When my niece, Candice, visited me from out of town recently, the sweetheart plucked my eyebrows for me. She had been wanting to do this for more than a year. I must admit that I have not been making much of an effort with my appearance. That’s got to change.

Oh yes, while looking good is a great idea, remember to protect yourself from carcinogens and other harmful ingredients. Many brands of skincare, cosmetics and other beauty products often contain these harmful ingredients. Pamper yourself with safe personal care products with no questionable ingredients, like those from Neways.

Posted: December 9th, 2009 under Alternative Remedies, Cancer, Healthy Spirit.
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