Dear Patient,
I think it’s good to remember that disease is not an individual failing.
Many westerners, particularly those interested in things like holistic health, self care and personal development, tend to see the state of a person’s health as the product of their personal decisions: what you eat, whether or not you smoke or drink alcohol or use drugs, how much exercise you get, the steps in your self-care routine, the type of work you choose to do, even where you choose to live.
But we have to remember that health is rooted in families and communities. And in genetics, and epigenetics. If you’ve mostly enjoyed good health in your lifetime, congratulations, a lot of that has to do with luck. And if you haven’t, keep in mind that you’re the product of generations before you, and their decisions, and the factors that were beyond their control, and all the accidents of fate in your own life, and the people around you, and their ancestors too.
Health is not a through-line in your own self-contained life. It’s a web spreading out, connecting past and present, connecting neighbors and coworkers and friends and passers-by. The health of one affects all.
Illness is not a shortcoming. And good health is not a hero’s triumph. We’re all in this together.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
If you’ve enjoyed good health, a lot of that may have to do with good luck. And if you haven’t, a lot of that may have to do with luck, too --- BAD luck. Disease is not an individual failing, and being free from disease is not an individual triumph. What a great post!
Wow this is fabulous wisdom!! I’m sharing with my medical educators--and everyone else I can.