Happy New Year and Happy Lunar New Year! This is the year of the Wooden Snake, which represents wisdom, intuition, and transformation. It begs individuals to explore its depth and mystery, challenging them to seek deeper truths beneath its surface. This year is expected to be characterized by deep insights, thoughtful deliberation, and the development of inner strength.
For me this rings true. The start of this year has been tumultuous. My younger sister’s family lives in Altadena, CA and were evacuated from their home on January 7th due to the Eaton fires. Luckily, they are all safe, and their home was one of the few in their neighborhood to survive. Hopefully, within a couple of months they will be able to move back in. Given that the whole town of Altadena is gone, driving in and around their neighborhood will be a daily reminder of the devastation brought on by global weirding.
My gregarious and funny 81-year-old Father-in-Law, Stuart Kelman was admitted to the hospital in mid-January. He was suffering from pneumonitis; an inflammation of the lungs due to radiation. Typically, pneumonitis can be treated with steroids. Stuart’s lungs unfortunately did not respond to treatment. He was a smoker in his 20s and worked in a warehouse full of asbestos, so his lungs were already compromised. He never left the hospital and on Saturday, January 25th he passed away peacefully, surrounded by those that love and adored him.
At the same time Amy Gage, one of our beloved Massage Therapists found out that her 14-year-old son Max, had Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), an aggressive form of Leukemia. Max had complained that he was having trouble breathing. Amy took him to the emergency room expecting a routine visit. Upon receiving alarming lab test results he was admitted to the hospital for an emergency bone marrow biopsy, revealing his AML diagnosis a mere 24 hours later. Her world has turned upside down, as Max will need to be in the hospital for 6 months to undergo aggressive chemotherapy. The good news is that Max has completed his first round of chemotherapy and his body is responding positively to the treatment. Amy is taking a solid 6 months off, most likely more to care for and support Max during this time. Click here to read more and make a donation to their gofundme campaign.
During tough times like these, I am reminded to go back to the basics of personal self-care. Taking hot baths, eating nurturing and nutritious food, practicing gratitude, being in community, reading books, getting plenty of massage therapy and journaling. Life doesn’t stop, and the best thing we can do is to take care of our health and well-being when times get tough.
I hope the start of the New Year has been less rough for all of you. Winter is a tough time in general, be gentle and kind to yourself, and know that sunny skies are around the corner.
In Health,
