Day 6 - Invasion of the Bodysnatchers

When: Last Night
Where: Holiday Party at a Friend's
Time: 5:30PM - 9:00PM


Like any holiday party there were families filtering in bringing dishes and beverages of all kinds. The beautiful kitchen counters were peppered with dishes, bowls and china full of enchiladas, nachos, spanish rice, salmon, salad and chip/guacamole/salsa snacks. I watched as pockets of people would form, sometimes all the wives in one corner and the husbands in another. Other times conversations would build on sports (the 49ers in this case), politics (the new tax bill) or school budget cuts. The general awkwardness in the beginning began to subside as I became more comfortable observing the beauty of human interaction and relationship.

As I sat on a small bench looking over the room the children ran like a living snake threading through the small crowds down the hall. I watched as my daughter merged with delight into the chaos of it all. I wondered what it would be like if adults no longer felt the need to talk and analyze and instead wanted to play. What would it look like if we were all wrestling, playing, screaming, dancing and pulling at each other instead of being acceptable citizens?

I heard screaming and banging on doors down the dark corridor to my right. As I followed the noises two rooms came into my sight, only briefly as the children ran into one, opened the door, and then into the other. The boys had conquered one room with wooden swords and what looked like a metal detector. The girls were giggling from their room, trying to keep the boys at bay. They were jumping on the bed, hiding in and out of  the closet and one brave girl was taking it upon herself to neutralize and drag any boy that infiltrated back out.

My daughter's face was a bit troubled. She approached me and said that her throat hurt a little bit. I laughed when I heard her talk. She sounded like my Uncle Bill, raspy-smoke-voice and all, but with an innocent flair of concern. I got her water and suggested that she slow down and rest a bit.

Later that night I saw her being beckoned by the golf-ball sized peppermint chocolate balls that were magnificently piled in a tower upon a plate. She grabbed one and ran outside into the snow with her friends.

It occurred to me that all of us, in certain situations, disregard the messages our bodies sends us. We each have a set of priorities that may overpower our desire to be healthy and well. I looked around and saw the margaritas, beer and wine flowing and saw that it was no different for us when we grow up. Invasion of the bodysnatchers for sure. How many of the adults needed to be in prime condition for the weekend trips ahead? Were any of us on the edge of becoming sick? Did we have injuries that we were recovering from? We get invaded with the desire to create a certain experience, fit in or escape from our needs - all-the-while our body will make a visit with us when we get home.

This is not to say that letting go and having fun is not essential for health because it absolutely is! Yet as I sat there I wondered what each of the attendees own health priorities were. What do we place ahead of physical health and vitality? Consider if some of the following have precedence over the feelings of your body:

• Social acceptance (being liked and accepted by others)
• Having fun (creating excitement and temporary pleasure)
• Taking care of others (your 'role' in family and relationship)
• Escaping from obligation/responsibility/feelings
• Working (career, getting tasks done)
• Cleaning (or any other action that keeps the 'status quo')
• Time (urgency or deadlines)
• Addiction (smoking, food, drugs or meds)

Ask yourself if any of the above have priority over your body and if that feels right to you. Do you sometimes allow your body to be snatched away because of imbalanced priorities? Do you have enough self-respect to honor your physical and emotional needs?

My daughter learned an important lesson. She got home last night and was horribly worried that she was going to be too sick to have a play date with her friends. She took vitamin C and chlorophyll (I AM a Nutritionist and have an arsenal of supplements at her disposal) as she sat in the bath, requesting whatever potion I had available. I explained to her a basic and powerful concept: you can try to counteract your actions with supplements and medicine all you want but it is what you eat and how you treat your body in those initial moments of feeling that really matters. The more we are aware and in our body, the more inevitably we enjoy every moment. 

This holiday make sure to have proportionally more fun being in your body than escaping from it! 

Nat