Season of Change

Welcome, autumn! Summer was long -- an ordeal, in fact -- and I'm more than glad to see it go. I experienced a health crisis, which began just shortly after my last blog entry, and it took until mid-September for it to be resolved and for me to recover. It wasn't celiac- or allergy-related, so I won't devote much time to it here, but suffice it to say, I'm reminded yet again of how all-important health truly is and how difficult it can be to accomplish anything without it. It also helped bring certain things into greater perspective for me -- what's important, what isn't. When a hematologist tells you, essentially, that you were lucky you didn't die, it has a stilling effect -- you pause, you reflect, you move on, but not without some change in your thinking.

I work very hard to be healthy, and at times, it seems like health is something that eludes me, in spite of my best efforts. Something I don't understand is how people can repeatedly abuse their bodies, yet they don't appear to suffer any ill effects. The number of people who still smoke in complete disregard of all warning astonishes me. "Normal" people who cram their bodies full of junk, a mystery to me; I wonder what their internal organs look like. People who have celiac disease yet still consume gluten are completely baffling; they are destroying their guts and immune systems. What really gets me is that many of the aforementioned seem to function fine -- or better than fine, seemingly with plenty of energy and vigor.

I guess what frustrates me is that I have to work to be healthy, but others don't need to -- and don't suffer any apparent consequences. Perhaps it's because I don't have those options that I can't comprehend those choices. I've had asthma all my life; I know what it's like to struggle to breathe. I never had to be told I shouldn't smoke: why would I want to further impair my lungs? I don't "cheat" on my diet; I don't have that luxury. Perhaps if I just bloated a bit or got a little rash after eating gluten, maybe my approach would be different, but that's not remotely my experience. A bite of "real" cake or whatever isn't worth it to me ... and maybe that's the secret -- it's about what the individual values.

My ordeal over, I've come to realize with greater clarity what I need to do to be healthy, including focusing less on other people's options and more on mine, and that's the important thing for me.

With these things in mind, yes, I'm celebrating summer's end. Fall represents a much-needed transition, and regardless of the dying vegetation I see, it means new beginnings. I've breathed a sigh of relief. I'm rebuilding my stamina. I've bought pumpkins and flower bulbs, have brought out my sweaters, and have been making Christmas lists. I am thinking about heartier recipes, like chili, shepherd's pie and pumpkin bread, and planning winter projects. I'm enjoying the bounty of the harvest season, with sweet corn, crisp apples and the like. It's, indeed, a welcome change.

Happy fall!