TAKE 2 OF THESE & CALL ME IN THE MORNING

There seems to be a drug available today for every ailment imaginable, but maybe taking more medication is not always the answer. The dangerous side effects from drugs can often outweigh the consequence of the illness. Have you read any of the warning labels on prescription drugs lately?  Only a science fiction thriller could create a scenario more frightening than the effects these drugs have on the human body. 

Drug companies are constantly working to promote more drugs.  That's why they're in business, they only see dollar signs $$$, but are drugs the only solution?  There's detailed health information available at our finger tips on the internet. Do the home work!

We are constantly being bombarded by the media with drug "cure alls" and the commercials on depression and anxiety are relentless. I get depressed just watching them.  When I was a child, people were too busy for despair. We had chores, school, paper routes, band practice, and homework. Each family member carried their load and worked hard to make life better. We actually engaged in "a real life" because our parents taught us that the future of this country depended upon our success. 

I am not saying that all medications are bad, but I think it’s imperative to understand the side effects they induce, which in many cases are far worse than the illness.  

My how things have changed! I remember four things I worried about as a child: a stomach ache, the common cold, a sore throat and getting bit by Mrs. Greenstreet’s snotty nosed, rat haired dog!  The only time we were taken to the doctor was for a gapping flesh wound or when someone stopped breathing, and occasionally someone stopped breathing when they realized they had a gapping flesh wound.  

Mother's were creative and used band aides, ginger ale, cod liver oil, heating pads, ice packs and ace bandages.  The statistics for my generation rebounding without medical attention was greater than those who succumbed to a doctor's care (which meant, less people relied on a doctor and without incident).

Very few people went to the dentist. As a matter of fact, there was only one in the entire city and that was Doc Labine, who also doubled as the sports announcer.  Loose teeth were pulled by an older brother who tied a piece of string to the door knob and then slammed it with a certain amount of pleasure.  Occasionally a pair of pliers was used for a stubborn molar.  My mother used hot salt water to soak and cleanse our wounds, including a few drops to treat eye infections or clearing a stuffy nose.  A trip to the doctor was very rare and it had to be absolutely necessary; the fee was usually around $10.00. Today, with the high cost of health care, the only doctors we can afford to see are the ones on TV.   

I have listed a few random side effects from the most common drugs on the market today.  Secure yourself, its not a pretty picture. Inflammation of the stomach, loss of sight, temporary loss of breathing, insomnia, diarrhea, pain in extremities, difficulty swallowing, ulcerated stomach or esophagus, trouble concentrating, loss of memory and dry mouth.  Take a deep breath, it gets worse.  Swollen tongue, kidney problems, liver problems, trouble emptying your bladder, chest pain, seizure, muscle weakness, swollen glands, confusion, excessive bleeding or bruising and the worst imaginable side effect ever is that of anal seepage.  WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, stop right there!  Anal seepage?  No thank you!

There are three drugs that increase the warnings listed above. They were treatments for arthritis, psoriasis, and a virus vaccine for children. Nothing too serious, right?  Hummmm, I don’t know about you, but I'll take all three conditions at the SAME TIME, before I want to experience any of these side effect. For me, its a no brainer!

Here are some simple remedies for the most common complaints:  

Insomnia: If you can’t sleep at night, maybe 5 cups of coffee and 6 caffeine drinks a day are not the best options for you, try switching to a sip of common sense.  Maybe you could ask your spouse to explain their job responsibilities, you’ll find yourself asleep in no time. Another recommendation is to read the scriptures, you'll drift into a peaceful slumber and be blessed for having done so. 

Stiffness and joint pain: Check out the birthdate on your drivers license, you may just be old and decrepit.  Then try walking for a change, it increases endorphin levels, raises the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, burns calories and provides a healthy dose of vitamin D.  Honestly, its much better to gaze into the open sky than to sit around staring at your dusty feet.  

Anxiety: Get up, get out and get busy. Anxiety is brought on by a chemical change that occurs in the body, usually induced by stress. The best way to eliminate anxiety is to do something kind for someone else (lose yourself in the service of others). It will lift your spirit and their's as well. 

Depression: Nordstrom, Macys, and TJmaxx! Take a trip to your favorite store, it's cheaper than seeing a therapist and you'll have something glamorous to hang in your closet!  Also, the lack of proper nutrition and trace minerals can render a person helpless.  Get plenty of rest, good nutrition, and remember that vitamins and trace minerals are essential. Also, develop an exercise routine, get off your tush. Strive to eliminate the negative influences in your life. You may need to choose new friends or keep the negative family members at a distance.  

Constipation: Open all your bills at once, that should do it!  If that doesn't work, drink more water and increase your fiber intake. Soluble and insoluble fiber are the keys to a healthy intestine.  No hemorrhoids here!

Head aches: Take two Twinkies and call me in the morning.  Seriously, most headaches are caused from dehydration. Drink plenty of water and stay away from people who are a pain in the you know what! 

Remember, LAUGHING is the best medicine in the world.  Surround yourself with people who love life and laughter, they are the antidote for misery.  

By Linda Sunmer Urza written for: onefineday11.blogspot.com

WHO ARE THE REAL SUPERHEROES?

My parents raised me with the ideals that I could become anything I desired in this life. They taught that the only thing that would hold me back was if I stopped striving for excellence. Their faith in me instilled a deep desire to succeed, even at a very young age.  I strived to reach my goals and I believed that the possibilities were endless.  I watched Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman blaze trails of glory through the sky while fighting the evil nemesis and always protecting the innocent. 

One fine day, my brother convinced me that I could fly through the air like Superman.  Either he wanted to test my limits, literally, or he was in it for a good laugh!  He put an army blanket around my shoulders, pinned the two ends together with an extra large kilt pin, and helped me climb a ladder leading to the roof of my grandmother's chicken coop. I was all in, I mean, I was 100% certain that I was going to fly through the air!  My brother watched eagerly and with great anticipation as I adjusted my cape, raised my arms above my head, and leaped into the air!   

I remember the immediate shock and disappointment that came when I realized I was going down, not up!  I hit the cold, hard ground with a thud that knocked the wind out of me, along with a few bodily fluids! Although I didn't soar through the sky, the impact was so intense that the sun, the stars and the moon were all spinning around in my head. It hurt!  It hurt so bad that I couldn't stop screaming, but the real pain came from the sharp reality that I couldn't fly or even hover for a split second!

My mother came running out the front door in response to my blood curdling screams and my brother flew like a bat out of hell when he saw the look on her face! He quickly disappeared into the neighborhood to escape the wrath he knew he had coming.

My mother tended to my wounds, as I tearfully explained the events leading up to my failed attempt to hurl myself into space. She listened patiently while I dramatically professed my super duper version of the story and of course, declare my brother's responsibility for everything that had happened.  Then, I humbly requested, "Aren't you gonna find him and punish him?" What I really wanted her to do was lock him up until he was an old man with a white beard and creepy long fingernails, but out of her great wisdom and patience she sweetly declared, "He'll be home soon, it's almost dinner time and he'll get hungry."  

This was my first recollection of the power of "cause and effect." Through her infinite wisdom, my mother kindly inquired, "What part did you play in this unfortunate incident?"  I wanted desperately to remain the innocent victim and to bury myself in self pity and denial.  'It couldn't possibly be my fault,' I thought to myself, all my intentions were good!  My first reaction was to blame my brother for everything; after all, someone had to pay the price for my injuries.  My mother, however, had loftier goals for us that day. Her unconditional love and wisdom shaped our lives and we realized many valuable lessons through this one experience; certainly not from falling off the chicken coop onto the hard ground, but through the soft manor in which she responded to our trials. She elevated us to a higher level of understanding by her actions and through the examples she set.  

Later that day, my brother slithered through the back door like a little green snake in the grass. My mother didn't scold, shame, or belittle him.  She responded in a genuine desire to teach the greater lessons of patience and love, by allowing each of us to take responsibility for our actions.  She healed our wounds from the inside out and taught us to be responsible and accountable for ourselves, as well as, for each other. 

Instead of turning this experience into a courtroom drama, she used it for an opportunity for growth. She explained to my brother, since I was injured from the fall and he had made the choice to flee the scene of the accident, he would be doing my chores until I recovered from a slight concussion.  She was smooth as butter with her comments, that rolled off her tongue like sweet honey pouring from a hot glass jar.  Without one word of anger or disdain, she had taught the valuable lessons of cause and effect,  along with accountability.

The memory that stands out the most for me was not an extreme fall onto the cold hard ground, but the soft touch of a mother's love for her children. A love that was kind and respectful, and delivered with great consideration of the age and maturity of her young children. She made it possible for my brother and I to accepted responsibility, apologize to one another, and again become comrades in a plot to conquer the world. 

Parents have wonderful opportunities to teach their children, but unfortunately these opportunities often come as trials in day to day living. It's important for parents to shift from “punishment” to the “opportunity of teaching" principles that hold children accountable.  When addressing issues through patience and love, it releases the child from feeling that they are bad or unloved. (Punishment and blame take the circumstances from bad to worse.) Teaching good principles inspires children to learn greater virtues  and provides them with the opportunities to choose better options. It also allows them to build self esteem and self reliance. 

Parents who resort to anger, shame, ridicule, blame, punishment, name calling, or violence, teach their children that these damaging actions are acceptable for solving problems. Bullies begat bullies. Severe punishment and ridicule will break the spirit of a child, inevitably producing fear, hate, and anger.  Negative actions are the cause and effect of negative people, and its important to remember that children inevitably emulate the actions of their parents.  

Superman is still one of my favorite heros. There are days when I leap tall buildings in a single bound, fight off the evil nemesis, and still have dinner ready and on the table by dusk!  Superman had the advantages of flying through the air, but a mother’s influence rules the world in raising a nation.

I discovered through the loving arms of wonderful parents that I didn't need a cape to fly.  I believe that heros aren't formed in the womb, they are nurtured and loved by parents who change the world and the  generations to come.  For parents have the power to make all the difference in the world. Let me rephrase that, "Parents have all the power to make the world different!" Written by Linda Sumner Urza for: onefineday11.blogspot.com

DID YOU TRADE GOOD FOR EVIL?

There are a million truths in this life to aspire after and this quote certainly is one of them. "A lie doesn't become truth, wrong doesn't become right and evil doesn't become good, just because it's accepted by the majority!" Truth never changes, it was perfectly created and established by God. 

Remember the old adage, "Don't sell your soul for a mess of pottage," meaning don't buy into the lies and degradation that will pull you away from the universal and eternal truths of the Almighty.  It was He who established and declared the rules and guidelines, not man.

There are many people wandering aimlessly in this world, proselyting without light and truth.  They make up their own rules to fit their lifestyle and then work feverishly to pull others into their snare, for misery loves company.  The world will sell you a mess of pottage in the form of a bag of lies, in order to enlist you in the army of fools. 

Isaiah 5:20 "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter."

I have taught my children, " If you don't stand for something you'll fall for everything.  When you stand a little taller than all the rest, you see over their heads and the view becomes crystal clear." Linda Sumner Urza, written for onefineday11.blogspot.com