Sick Day

“Mom, I don't feel so good,” said my Little Monkey, just seconds before he started to throw up on the floor. He looked up at me apologetically, and I think if I hadn't stopped him, he would have started cleaning up. But I could tell he wasn't done, so I whisked him into the bathroom.

While my poor little guy retched, I rubbed his back and smoothed his hair, trying my best to comfort him. In between heaves, he said, “I love you, Mom!” I don't think he has ever meant it more.

In bed with the flu

When he finished, I cleaned him up and made a bed for him on the couch in front of the TV. I rubbed some DigestZen essential oil blend on his stomach, then rubbed some OnGuard blend on his feet. He had a bit of a fever, so I took a cool wet washcloth and added a drop of lavender oil. It seemed to soothe him.

I have spent many, many nights tending one child after another as the stomach flu swept through our family. This time, I planned on nipping it in the bud. I ordered everyone in the house to use the OnGuard, too, and I had it running in the diffuser. I returned to give my son a couple more treatments. By dinner, he felt well enough for a little chicken soup.

I kept him home from school the next day, which annoyed him, because it messed up his perfect attendance. He was back to normal within twenty-four hours – and no one else in the family got sick!

I think that's what I love most about having essential oils in the house. Sure, we still get sick from time to time, but with early intervention, it is short-lived and never very severe. It sure makes being a mom a little bit easier.

Filling The Well

Hey, Momma – I know you. You are a giver. You give hugs, fix boo-boos, cheer when your child makes the football team and cheer him up when he doesn't. You walk the floors at night trying to calm your colicky newborn and then again when she's a teenager out on her first date. You'd do anything for your family...but when was the last time you did something for yourself?

You know what they say: If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. It's true that you can't draw water from an empty well.

I get a massage twice a month. Now, Vivian doesn't look like a virtuoso masseuse. With her Albert Einstein hair, English teeth, and flower child insistence that bras are unnecessary (even after the age of 60), you'd never guess that she learned massage from an Afghani yogi master and was once masseuse to the stars.

Until she goes to work, that is. Unlike most masseuses these days, she doesn't pound my muscles like she's trying to tenderize meat. Instead, her fingers are drawn like magnets to that spot that's been bugging me for so long, and she gently coaxes it to release the pent-up tension. And she always finishes with an incredible foot massage. To ground me, she says. I can tell how well I've been taking care of myself by how I react to the foot massage. Sometimes, it's a pleasant and relaxing way to finish the massage. But some days, I find my eyes welling up with tears as I think, “Man, I really haven't been doing well lately, have I?” By the time Vivian finishes with me, I feel like a strangely energized noodle.

I would love it if you were reaching for the phone book right now, ready to look up the nearest spa to schedule a massage for yourself. But I know you, remember? I suspect you are shrugging your shoulders with a sigh, thinking, “Ah, that would be nice.” And you're ready to turn away and get back to tidying the house or baking some cookies for after school snacks or taking your turn at the carpool.

But I'm sure you at least have time for a foot massage. Here is a great technique that you can do on your own. Better yet, get your significant other to do it for you. And make it a habit every night before bed. :)

FYI -- These are the "zones" Dr. Hill talks about:    

And if you would like a free sample of Wild Orange and Peppermint essential oil or the Aromatouch massage blend essential oil, please e-mail me at SuperMomEO@gmail.com.