Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Cheerful bits

Yesterday I got a call from the Assistant Principal at an elementary school nearby. This is the school I was doing my "field experiences" in last spring. They have cleared me to do them again this semester. Yay! I am good to go!

The friend who I thought was leaving left an instant message apologizing. I am not so sure about the nicety of that particular mode but I will take one in any form as long as it is sincere. My question of whether he wanted to discuss anything was ignored in favor of giving me a suggestion on how to cure the cold I got from some students. His suggestion, "Fast for a couple of days." Does anyone have any ideas on how this would be helpful? Usually I take tons of OJ, zinc and echinacea. I would gladly do anything that has some hope of helping. I used to be able to purchase something called, Ginger Echinacea Syrup at SunHarvest. That really did work. It kicked a cold's duration from 10 days down to 3. Sadly they no longer carry it. If anyone knows where I can get some more of this pricey syrup Please let me know...I will order some.

When I find my schedule for church services that I am assigned to I will rejoice. I am once again serving communion some Sunday this month. I really like doing that. I also get one morning prayer service to officiate at. That is a really great way to start your day.

I heard from my closest cousin last night. He is doing ok. He worries about me. Now that is a good cousin. I've always liked this one. We are only a year apart in age. Jim would do just about anything he could to help make things better for me. I would do the same for him. My father has this strange attitude that relatives are to be avoided. With a cousin as good as this one why on earth would I want to do that? Family is important. To some extent I understand my father's difference here. He is a build yourself with hard work kind of guy. Don't take help. Don't give it because it won't be appreciated. I am different. I like to know where I came from. My family is part of my heritage, along with my life experiences. Being a future teacher, culture and my students' heritages are going to be important to me and hopefully to them. If they don't appreciate them maybe I can help them to do so. Hopefully that will give them stronger self identities and help them stand tall and proud.

And now...off to work.
Peace

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have you tried going to WebMD and searching on colds - there may be some useful information there? I don't think starving a cold is the way to go because your body needs energy to fight off whatever it is battling and you may instead just weaken your immune system even more. Also, have you tried going to a local pharmacy and asking the pharmacist about any over-the-counter meds that can help bolster your immune system - I think there's something cold coldeaze(?).

As to the families part of the post, I think how people respond and their familial expectations has alot to do with one's culture and community. I know as an "anglo" my family ties are strongest with my immediate family and then start spurting out to "I have a cousin/aunt named "who?" after my first cousins. Also, I think distance plays into family relationships. And lastly, like friendships family relationships require a committment to stay in touch and to be emotionally avaialable to one another, an active partipation and concern about their welfare.

This may just be me, but if you don't make an effort to get to know each other, then why would an extended family member treat you as more than an acquintance?

As with everything else in life knowing what one's intentions are goes along way towards happiness in general.

Susan Palwick said...

I'm glad you've gotten various bits of good news, Lee, and hope you feel better! The WebMD suggestion's a good one; I also suggest doing a Google search for the syrup you like. You may be able to order it online. Good luck!

Lee said...

Thank you, Anon. I did search WebMD to get a recipe that included garlic, cayenne and ginger. I haven't tried it yet but it sounded very strong in flavor and spice. I suspect it would do the trick. No, I didn't ask the pharmacist. I wasn't thinking clearly enough when I was there to do that. Good idea though. (g)

You are right in all you said about families. I value mine far more than my father does. I probably get that from my mother. My cousin values people. He is a truly good person from what I can see. I've watched him grow and also hurt through life. He has come out stronger if a bit worn around the edges from dealing with some of the things life has done to people he cares about. He attrubutes all the strength I percieve in him or me to God, reminding me that when we are weakest is when God's strength shines in us. His letter today was so loving that words to express how much he means to me fail.

Peace, Hope and Joy!

Lee said...

Ooh! Thanks Susan, I hadn't even considered a Google search. That is how brain dead this cold has made me. I went to bed early tonight and am only up for a moment to handle some small things. And yes, I do feel better...just not well yet. Thank you for the good wishes.

Peace!