“Life is amazing. And then it's awful. And then it's amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful it's ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That's just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it's breathtakingly beautiful.” ~ L.R. Knost
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
In October, I wrote to you about courage and hope and leadership. We need all of these for our individual and collective health – physical, mental, spiritual. We need connection too – especially in uncertain times – because it takes a village. I see my life and friends and patients in the inspirational quote above. We are in it altogether. Even in these challenging times with growing pains we can celebrate one another and “breathe in the amazing.”
When I can’t seem to find the amazing in myself – even though I laud the profound wisdom of any human body including my own – I have to turn to natural resources around me. It is my meditation; it invites me into its splendor; it breathes light into the deepest corners of my soul. Nature, and the good in others, reminds me that life is beautiful, even if unfair. Connecting to the joy and sadness and beauty of nature, and others, restores me.
The colorful leaves have fallen now and I am reminded that I have friendly neighbors. Breathe.
Last week, I watched two grey herons take flight in unison over still water. Breathe.
The unexpected October snow reminded me that winter’s coming. Hold on.
The sun made me forget that winter had visited. Breathe
In between, I’ve felt the ordinary. Exhale.
A fluffy black bear ambled peacefully across my yard. Breathe.
I heard an owl and surprised a deer that surprised me in turn. Breathe.
My husband and I sighted a racoon that had encountered a porcupine. Hold on.
I recently connected with an old friend who has had a particularly tough year. Hold on.
One of my colleagues calls the overwhelm many of us have felt, “the lumping of things.” Hold on.
Feeling another person smile (even through a mask) or seeing a bird take flight helps us de-lump.
There is goodness and beauty in ourselves, in nature, and in our relationships to one another.
We just need to remember to Hold On, Relax and Exhale, then Breathe again.
Thank you for your part in a global village that needs you.
Stay connected and amazed! www.nhhealthwellness.com
~ Dr. Heather
Dr. Heather Tallman Ruhm has recently joined the NH Health & Wellness Center in Nashua, N.H. to offer health consultation to patients from a holistic, integrative physician’s perspective. She is known for her wealth of knowledge on root causes of disease and her practical approaches to helping people understand their conditions in order to optimize health and wellness. She loves empowering patients to take better control of their own health by focusing on diet, lifestyle, and gut heath - the core of many health issues today. Dr. Heather is the former radio host of Health Matters based out of Manchester, NH. Archived shows are still available to hear for the first time or replay at www.drtallmanruhm.com. A more complete bio is available at www.NHhealthwellness.com.
