Physical, Mental, and Social Health

Health is a condition of optimal well being. Being healthy includes being in a state of physical, mental and social well being. I have been exposed to the healthy and the unhealthy in all three areas. Growing up I had two younger brothers with chronic illnesses. Chronic illness is a recurrent illness or disease with periods of exacerbation and remission. One of my brothers was extremely ill with a chronic kidney disease and on several occasions received Last Rites. My youngest brother acquired a staph infection in both of his eyes; tear ducts and tears glands when he was a new born. I was the oldest of four children so shared in the responsibility for all three of my brothers. In addition to that, my grandmother came to live with us and we became roommates. My grandmother was a diabetic, controlled with diet and oral medication and had a standing appointment with the podiatrist monthly for routine foot care. I accompanied her most often and what a nice time we would have. On our return trip home the taxi cab driver would drop us off just a few blocks from the house. We would window shop, pick up Mum’s medicine and then stop for lunch. I always ordered a chopped steak, French fries with gravy and a frosty root beer to drink. Sometimes we would treat ourselves to a quarter pound of whole cashews and eat those as we walked the last steps home. It seems strange that I remember exactly what I would order for lunch on those trips, but the memories are still very vivid.

My mothers work as a nurse in a long term care facility certainly gave me an awareness of aging not necessarily experienced by my friends. I spent many weekend nights with her at the job and learned what it meant to truly care about strangers. Strangers in ...

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...t a lot of families are living in different states at great distances from grandparents and that is a shame. I think the eastern cultures have the right idea, multiple generations reside within one home and the elder’s are revered and so respected for their knowledge.

I wish that I had finished my degree years ago and was at a point in life now that I could retire and split my time during the year between spending time with family and volunteering with an organization like the Peace Corp or Vista. If I had completed the degree previously who knows what doors may have opened and what additional education I may have attempted. Who knows what other life skills I may have acquired. I realize it’s never too late to learn and I always liked school so hopefully I will have enough years ahead of me to reach those goals and utilize new skills in a positive way.