Before I get to the main part of my post, I have to mention that I added some important information to my post last week about liver and toxins, but realize that most of you won’t know to go back and look at it.  There’s interesting information in this article, and one of the most important points I wanted to be sure you saw is the following:

“One of the roles of the liver is to neutralize toxins (such as drugs, chemical agents and poisons); but the liver does not store toxins (emphasis mine). Poisonous compounds that the body cannot neutralize and eliminate are likely to lodge in the fatty tissues and the nervous system. The liver is not a storage organ for toxins but it is a storage organ for many important nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron). These nutrients provide the body with some of the tools it needs to get rid of toxins.”

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Today has  been a pleasant and relaxing day.  Dh took the day off and took the older six kids on a hike, and the three littles enjoyed spending time with their grandparents.  This is the first time we did something like this (usually the littles go with us), but everyone appreciated it.  It’s different hiking with three children under the age of 4 along!  The hike ended up being hugely fun for everyone, and the trip to their grandparents also ended up being very fun for the littles, so it worked out well all around!

I didn’t end up going along, since my breathing has been challenging since Monday (erev Pesach).  At that time, my kids wanted to vacuum but didn’t realize the wet-vac needs a filter installed before using for dry vacuuming.  So a lot of dust that they vacuumed up ended up being spit back into the air, and though I was two floors above where they were vacuuming, and was napping when they did it, I woke up from my nap coughing hard.  I have a dust/mold sensitivity which when activated (very infrequently happens) affects my respiratory process, and since then it’s been hard to breathe normally.

I’m glad to say that this hasn’t been the slightest bit of an issue for months, since the camping trip.  But I guess a lot of spores were stirred up in the air and unfortunately, my herbal remedies and vitamin C were ‘sold’ for Passover and I couldn’t access/use them.  Physically I haven’t been feeling great these last few days but as with everything, there are positives.  Not being able to do what I usually do (because I couldn’t breathe deeply enough to do much) means that I’m being given the opportunity to let go and accept whatever happens around me.  We had guests yesterday and usually I’d be embarrassed to have so many things piled on the kitchen counters, but I wasn’t about to nag my kids about it when they were already doing so much to help.  So I couldn’t do anything about it but practice acceptance! Letting go is important thing to learn – you can’t have too many opportunities!

My kids and dh are nurturing of me and continually ask what I need and what they can do for me.  My mom was here for the first part of Passover and though I really didn’t want her to see how badly I was feeling and be worried, she realized it anyway (and despite my assurances that it wasn’t a big deal was very, very worried) and was also so loving and helpful.  Though I don’t like to inconvenience my family, it’s nice to see how much people love you.

Another positive is that I had a quiet house today when everyone went on the hike.  I spent most of the time sleeping (since I couldn’t sleep until 4:30 am because of breathing issues), but when I got up enjoyed a super long hot shower (trying to loosen whatever is stuck in my lungs) – my shower lasted until the hot water ran out!  Then I did some reflective reading and writing, and enjoyed being able to relax without feeling like someone was waiting for me to be available for them.  It was very nice to take the time to feel quiet and centered inside.

I’m confident that soon whatever toxins got trapped inside will soon totally be out of my body – I’m feeling significantly better tonight.  This situation has been a good reminder to appreciate the healthy body I tend to take for granted, and also been a wonderful chance to focus on enjoying the unique opportunities that have arisen!

Avivah