life is beautiful

Life is Beautiful

​Every morning my husband likes to read the news to me – sometimes whether I want to hear it or not! The only reason I say ‘not’ is because I find too much news not good for my health. A lot of what is being reported by the media right now from outward appearances anyhow, seems very doom and gloom. I have learned along the way that if I ingest too much of this kind of information, my mind has a tendency to glom onto it in ways that spiral me downward, impacting my mood. Since I believe our immune system is influenced by the thoughts we think, I find it important to monitor what I let in. And after all, at 6:00 in the morning, it is already far too early and dark out to tamper with this fine balance!

However, today I really enjoyed a little snippet that I heard about - an Italian woman (who incidentally is also small and could be summarized as a snippet) living in Northern Italy. Today she is celebrating her 117th birthday. Yes, that’s what I said – 117. Isn’t that amazing? What is even more wonderful is the fact that this woman appears to have all her faculties still working. In a world, where there are constant reports of rising numbers of people burdened with dementia and Alzheimer’s, I found this a pleasing and reassuring story.

What really stood out to me though was the diet that this woman (Emma Morano) had consumed over her life – very few fruits or vegetables, 2+ raw eggs daily, and some chicken. Her lifestyle also includes brandy, early to bed and remaining single most of her life. Wow – that kind of wipes out my belief system as far as nutrition goes.

What it reinforces though is the strength of character that this woman depicts in terms of her self-care. Back in the early 1900’s when she was growing up I am sure she didn’t think in those terms. Apparently, what she did stick to though was what worked for her and what she felt strongly about – which translates to me as another way of saying ‘self-love or self-care’.

​I think this is a key factor for all of us. My husband often reminds me to “know what you know”; in other words, to remain true to yourself. However this translates, if it makes you feel good and you believe in it strongly, than that is a strong foundation for you to live your life from. I am sure that if this woman felt terrible after eating raw eggs daily for almost 100 years, she would have stopped.

The main takeaway for me from this story is to celebrate the strength of spirit that each one of us has flowing through our veins and enjoy the passion of that in whatever direction it takes us. If it means eating raw eggs daily and it WORKS for you, well so be it. Each one of us is unique and it is our responsibility to be in touch with the choices in our lives that make us feel strong and happy. After all, as that infamous Italian movie reminded us, life is meant to be beautiful!