The world of essential oils, and natural medicine is quite full of fairy tale type stories. Women who were sick and tired, and tried this one amazing oil or vitamin, or a certain company's products, and now they feel the best they have ever felt in their entire lives. Stories of children who are never sick, energy that never runs out, and happiness that flows out like a river of syrup. Stories like these are meant to bring hope. But sometimes for me and maybe you as well, they bring a little bit of despair and sadness instead.
While I am truly happy for those who have found perfect health and happiness through essential oils, or other natural products, my story is not one of fairy tale happy endings. Of trying an oil or herb and then basking in the glow of everlasting good health. My story is one of constant struggle. Health issues that no herb, oil, or even traditional medication has been able to cure. And sometimes in the sea of seemingly perfect faces, and glowing testimonials I start to wonder, is there even a place for me here in this world of natural health and education? Do I need to have a perfect life, perfect family, and perfect health to be able to help others learn and grow?
My story is one that began early on with various health issues almost since the moment I was born. Struggles with migraines, heart issues, chronic fatigue, ruptured disks, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, lyme disease, spinal deformities, bone spurs, and hormonal problems has left me to cope with some serious issues, and some debilitating pain. I had multiple miscarriages before my beautiful son was conceived, then a tumultuous pregnancy with a host of complications, a premie baby who was extremely sick and spent the first month in a NICU unit almost two hours from our home. I had a recovery from an emergency C-section that was less than smooth and an infant that would NOT nurse because he learned to suck a bottle with a feeding tube down his throat which made him not able to latch on correctly, he also had to be fed at precise times every night because of his low birth weight and various complications. Many nights my husband was up with him while I was either pumping trying to keep my milk supply (which didn't last long because of my illness) or I was too sick to get out of bed.
And none of my story seems to fit into a testimony of someone teaching on health and natural medicine! You are supposed to have a have a healthy life, free of pain, a smooth pregnancy and birth free of intervention or drugs, at home surrounded by herbs and a midwife, an infant that breast feeds exclusively, and a momma free of pain that is able to care for her baby day and night. Right? Isn't that the message that is constantly bombarding us from the "natural" word?
So where does this leave me? Where does this leave US? Because somewhere deep down past all the flowers and sunshine I have a feeling I'm not alone in struggle against what it seems our culture expects of us. I know many of you struggle with ongoing issues and problems and feel that somehow there is not a place for you until you manage to "get it together" or "overcome." That you don't want to share with others about natural things you are doing because you are afraid they will discount everything you say because "well if it worked so well why isn't her health better?"
But I'm here to disagree. I'm here to say that I do have a voice. A place. And so do you! I many not have the happy ending to my story now or ever for that matter, but I do have a lot of wisdom acquired along the way. Wisdom that came from sheer desperation! I may not be able to tell you how to have perfect health and happiness, but I can tell you how to stop a baby screaming in pain more times than not in a matter of minutes. Not because my health is perfect and I have no problems, but because if my son kept me up crying at night with colic or teething pain and I didn't get enough sleep, my body would get so stressed I would literally be unable to WALK the next morning. It simply wasn't an option, I had to find things that worked. I can tell you what oils work, and why. Not because my life is perfect, but because it is not. Because I have tried them thousands of times in thousands of situations over many years. Not because I'm never sick, but because I am!
I have not researched and dug into the natural world the way I have because my life has been smooth sailing, but because I needed something to help me make it through each day. Or something to soothe the fragile skin of my 46 year old mother who was dying of cancer, or something to ease the pain of my dad's busted up shoulder when he couldn't stop working because they had no insurance when my mom got sick. My knowledge did not come from a happy place of contentment, but because some days me and my family needed help just to be able to function and preform every day tasks.
Am I an expert? Nope! Will I make you promises that these essential oils will "cure" you and leave you healthy and happy? Nope! And if you want a forum full of glowing testimonials of miraculous healing, this is probably not the place for you. But if you are looking for honesty, and help through the bumps and bruises that life brings to all of us, then you have found a home!
I'm not about grand stories, or amazing recoveries, but I am about RESULTS. I want to share with you what has helped me. What helps migraines? Sure it would be great if we never had one again, but here in the real world stuff happens. So when it does, what will help? What helps an infants colic? What eases the pain of arthritis? What can you do on those days you just can't get yourself out of that funk you are in, and everything seems dark. We could pretend we never have those days, and we are always bright and positive, but if you are like me... some days are just dark. How do you cope with panic attacks, sciatic nerve pain, tension headaches, coughs, colds, flu, respiratory infections... the list goes on and on. Yes it would be great if we all could be so healthy that none of these things ever plagued us. But we live in the real world here, and crap happens.
So I want to share with you what I have learned over the years. Those things that have helped me though this crazy thing we call life. And just maybe, the struggles and pain I have gone through can help you with your struggles too.
To join me on my essential oils Facebook page, visit me at:
https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoileducation
Thanks for sharing so openly!
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