The Wisdom of the Body

Based on my own life-experience, the observation of others and academic study, I have come to the conclusion that our bodies have their own wisdom and they speak to us with eloquence if we but listen.  Symptomology is the study of symptoms.......messages our bodies give us when there is a malfunction or dysfunction.  Pain and fever are two biggies, but there are many others:  nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, warmth, redness, alterations in the perceptions of various senses, changes in routine body functions, cravings, etc.  The list is remarkable in its vastness and variety.  The problem seems to lie in the realm of not recognizing body messages for what they are.
With minimal effort we can learn to recognize these messages and even develop some degree of understanding as to what they mean.

The Wisdom of Romance

Can there be wisdom in romance?  I venture to say that there are those who would say no, but after attaining
sixty-two years among the human species and a variety of non-humans, I would have to say, "Absolutely!"
For one thing romance alters our vision so that we do not notice minor flaws.....much the way moonlight or candlelight are so much more flattering to everything and everybody.  It allows us to get close enough to each other to learn the important things like character, moral compass, tastes, philosophy, political outlooks, religious beliefs.  These are things it takes time to find out.  Romance allows us not to be put off by superficial appearances, long enough to establish a life connection.  Yes, I would say there is wisdom in romance.

The Wisdom of Gardens

I have seen some really magnificent gardens in my time.  They include the rose gardens of Connecticut, the Tuileries in Paris, and a reproductions of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.  My favorite is always the one at home.

When MaryBeth was little and I was trying to put her to bed, we would lie close together and talk about the garden we would plant someday.  I guess the original discussion was generated by the rising popularity at the time of that wonderful children's book, The Secret Garden.

We naturally planned a walled garden, but we planned a multitude of others, too, depending on where our fancies led us.  Our walled garden had one large oak tree in the northwest corner.  Then, there was a pond with great golden carp over which were draped three lovely weeping willows.  The walls were covered in climbing roses, bougainvillea, honeysuckle. morning glories, and moonflowers.  There were rocks around the pond that were surrounded by ferns,and lichen, like a velvet carpet, covered the larger ones. There were gardenias and night-blooming jasmine in abundance in each corner and nestled amidst all that fragrance were wooden benches where we could sit and absorb all that wondrous beauty.......a banquet for the soul.

We planned one garden for just roses......every color...every fragrance.....every size and variety.  There would also be both a kitchen garden filled with herbs, fruits, vegetables...and a medicinal garden.  We would be experts in these areas....get back to nature.  And a "white" garden where every blossom would be.......you guessed it...... white.

Gardens have a serenity about then.....even the wild, unattended ones.  They are one with nature and they
play their part in the eco-system whether cared-for or not.  Everything in the garden exists within the framework nature.  While we are in them, we do, too.

The Wisdom of Moonlight

Diana, the virgin huntress, is the goddess of the moon, which is my favorite celestial orb.  The moon rules much of our existence, from farming to romance, from tidal activity to mental activity, cycles both internal and external.  That is one powerful reflective device.  The moon is not a star which is why it does not create its own light, it merely reflects the light of our sun which is the "star" of our solar system.  Are you confused yet?  Not to worry,  Apollo is the god of the sun and rides across the daytime sky in a chariot driven by Phaeton.  They chase Diana round and round, which is another story.  People "dance" by the light of the moon, embrace and kiss, "moon-bathe".  They eat, sleep, dream and make love by her celestial magic.  Like candle-light, moon-light is flattering, frosting everything with silver, softening lines and wrinkles, and imbuing everything it touches with its ethereal illumination and primal power.  The wisdom of moonlight is ancient and eternal and endlessly renewing.

The Wisdom of Money

This is a hard one.  There is wisdom in money and other financial instruments, but only if they are earned, spent, invested, saved, and donated judiciously.  It can be a hedge against future times of famine, so to speak, a safety net, a life-saver, a protector and comforter if used properly.  It can be the motivator of the worst kind, inducing already weak and twisted individual to new depths of wrong-doing.  The only REAL value money has is the one we (society) sets on it.  In and of itself  it has neither meaning nor value.  It can accomplish great good, make dreams come true, save lives, but you already know the flip side.

The Wisdom of Honor

Honor is the ultimate acceptance of responsibility for something.  It is the willingness to face up  to hardship, pain, sorrow, humiliation, loss and death and give absolutely everything for a principle or cause.  If it proves that your cause fails, your principle is broken, it is the willingness to accept the consequences.  People die for the sake of honor all the time.  Personally, I would rather that they live honorable lives thereby teaching all who come after them that is is better to live an honorable life than to die an honorable death.  An honorable life teaches us how to live.  An honorable death teaches nothing.

The Wisdom of Discretion

This is a big one.  THERE IS SERIOUS WISDOM IN BEING DISCRETE.  You should probably get that emblazoned on your forehead AND a tee shirt.  Being discrete in behavior and communication is NOT.....I repeat.....NOT....the same as lying.  At least not in my dictionary.  Discretion is the choice to say nothing when saying something would cause pain or damage.  Lying is trying to get out of responsibility for something.  Discretion is taking responsibility.

The Wisdom of Sisters

As men have "the good old boys" club, women have "the sisterhood".  This falls outside the bonds of blood or legal relationships and deals with the commonalities that all female creatures share.  That is wisdom for another time.  This is about true, familial sisterhood.  It is a bit more complex simply because bonds that are created by blood, at least in the minds of those involved, are "...thicker than water..."  I am uncertain why the cohesiveness and mobility of molecules, or lack thereof, is relevant, but the mind is a powerful thing.  For instance, my sister and I almost NEVER agreed on ANYTHING, including the handling of our mother's death and dying. Yet, when an outsider questioned my decision-making, my sister was ready to sack Rome with the 13th legion of Gaius Julius.  Like that.  There is a loyalty there that transcends husbands, careers, children, and geography and creates a united front as effective as "the turtle" maneuver of the ancient military.  Does this mean that sisterhood is a concept that is inviolate?  No.  As the song goes, "Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister and Lord help the sister who comes between me and my man."

The Wisdom of Love

How could there not be wisdom in love?  Sometimes there is a bit of foolishness, too, but only because it is not unusual for a lover to be a wee bit indulgent with the object of love.  In fact the old saw is "...love is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies they commit..."  Love may be blind on occasion, but love is not stupid.  The people "in love" may be stupid, but never love, itself.  The wisdom of love is multi-faceted, all-knowing, all-forgiving, all-tolerant, all-compassionate, self-sacrificing.  Is this starting to sound familiar?  Are we starting to sound God-like?  Since He created us in His image....since our bodies are His temples.....then would it not also make sense that, as the song says "....in apprehension, how like a god....."?

The Wisdom of Friendship

I remember hearing the names Damon and Pythias when I was growing up.  Their names were forever linked to the concept of the ultimate in friendship.  One of them was sentenced to death and the other offered himself as hostage so that his condemned friend could go home and say goodbye to his family. He went home and came back to save his friend from death in his place.  This clear demonstration of "a greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for his friend" saved both of their lives.

If we remember that Christ gave up his life as a sacrifice that we might live eternally, have we not been extended the ultimate in friendship as well?  That makes friendship a God-like attribute. While I have never experienced a "Damon and Pythias" moment, I  know people who, day after day, offer support even when I am tired, cranky and whiny.....people who will sit me down and listen to what I have to say and then tell me, honestly, what I should really know.

I am privileged to have as friends, individuals who have commiserated with me, counseled me, endured my short-comings, listened to my tragedies with patience and my joys with jubilation, celebrated my victories and comforted me in time of trouble.....people who....out of the goodness of their souls and despite whatever their personal trials might be ...offer all they can think of to help.....and who lift me up daily.  These are people who are so different from one another that, as a group, they defy description.

I recite their names like a litany and ask God to bless them, protect and prosper them, and give to each of them that secret knowledge which brings serenity and peace.  As I remember them gratefully in my prayers each night, I whisper into the darkness a line from Edna St. Vincent Millay, "....I cannot hold thee close enough."

The Wisdom of Dogs

If you have the time for a pet, I recommend a dog.  We had a dog.  He was a pound puppy.  By the time he reached two years old, he weighed in a one hundred and ten pounds.  He was a cross between a German Shepard and a Doberman.  He was quite handsome.  His name was Robbie.  Not my choice.  Mom called him "Doggie".  He had his own special relationship with each individual in our household.  It fascinated me to watch the differences in his interactions with each of us.

Mom was Mom, even to Doggie.  For her he did his special leaping dance.  He would bound up to her feet, whether she was sitting or standing, then leap straight up in the air, twist mid-air and take off toward the nearest door to the outside.  Just before he would make his leap, he would verbalize.  It sounded almost like a cross between a bark and a yodel and there were times when I could have sworn it sounds as though he was saying, "Mom!".  He was able to communicate his needs to her with an astounding degree of accuracy.  With her he was gentle and soft-spoken.

His relationship with MaryBeth, the youngest in our household, was a little like a devoted younger brother.  He was her shadow and her pillow.  He would listen to her speeches and her tales of trouble or adventure.  He listened intently to her instructions and obeyed them most of the time.

Bob, MaryBeth's dad, and the one who brought Doggie to us, had a more traditional "master-pet" relationship.  He played with Doggie and took care of bathing and exercising him.  They did all the rough-housing together.

The relationship between Doggie and myself was more that of comrades.  When the rest of the household was asleep, Doggie would join me to watch television and just "hang".  Sometimes he would come and rest his big head on my lap, pressing gently, but firmly to get my attention.  Then he would look up at me me with those huge, liquid brown eyes.  He furrowed his forehead and I could swear he was trying to tell me that everything would be okay.  Robbie/Doggie died of cancer just shy of what we believed was his tenth birthday.  Although he has been gone for nearly two years, there are times when I swear I hear his toenails clatter on the tile floor and the jingle of his neck tags.

The Wisdom of the Kitchen

I love kitchens....big kitchens, small kitchens, modern and antique kitchens, intimate kitchens and efficient kitchens.  There is something about a kitchen that exudes love and warmth and nurturing.  From meals lovingly served amidst its informality to early morning or late night conversations around a pot of hot chocolate to last minute school projects spread all over the table, counter-tops, appliances and chairs, the kitchen seems to be the heart of the home.  It is much like a watering hole in the desert.  It is the one place we all gather at some point during the day.


Since it is the heart of the home, I think more than a little attention should be paid to its design, arrangement and furnishing. I was told once that no matter how little money you have, there are three things you don't skimp on:  children's shoes, a wife's lingerie, and food for the family.  That last item I would modify to read "food for the family and the place where it is prepared."  After all, the kitchen isn't just the place where meals are cooked and served.  It is where plans are made, secrets are confided, love is declared, dreams are rebuilt, achievements are revisited and memories are made.

The Sum of All Wisdom

Shakespeare did a fair job of summing up wisdom with lines from Hamlet.  Polonius admonishes Laertes, "This, above all, to thine own self be true, then it must follow as the night, the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."  The truth is that the actual sum of all wisdom is contained in the following concept:  Love yourself and all other creatures as you should love God.  Abide by that one rule and you will change the universe.

The Wisdom of the Owl

There are basically two kinds of people and they can be likened to birds.....owls and larks.  Owls are nocturnal.  They are useful and quietly dignified.  Their call is soft and soothing.   Larks are bright, cheery, early-risers with vibrant songs. They are annoying and useless.  People want to shoot them.  It's pretty much the same with their human counter-parts.  Which would you rather be?

The Wisdom of Socrates

Socrates said you should never own more than you can carry away on your back if the town is laid to seige.  He obviously never owned books.  Those of us who do would never....I mean NEVER.....leave them behind.

Do Not Go Gentle.......

It could result in your being carried out in a box.  This should be self-explanatory.

It's a Paradox

Never engage in any activity that could result in the creation of a paradox.  You might turn out to be your own grand-parent.

The Beauty of Humanity

We are told that God created man in His own image.  I will grant you that the basic structure is universal, but there are variances that distinguish every human being from every other human being.  Besides the obvious visible differences of  gender, pigmentation, skeletal structure, we are distinguished from each other  right down to and because of our DNA.  That makes us special in the same way that hand-crafted articles are more highly valued than those that are machine-made.  Differences in atmosphere, tension, pressure, vision, tools, etc., all contribute to the flaws in hand-made items.  It is those very flaws that make them unique and prized.  We are also unique in other ways that have nothing to do with our physicality.  We vary in intellect, personality, character, receptive and expressive responses, morality, tolerance ad infinitum.  There is incredible beauty and even wisdom in our imperfections.  Striving for perfection is admirable, but it should be noted that it is our imperfections and our striving to overcome them that help define us as human beings and God's absolutely favorite creation.  Let us not give up our humanity to be perfect.  I would rather be loved by God, than BE God.

Wisdom is a double-edged sword....

You remember the expression, "Don't bite off more than you can chew."?  The reason is that if you do, you run the risk of strangling to death.  However, the other side of that is.....if you consistently bite off more than you can chew, you could wind up strengthening the muscles of your jaws and thereby greatly enhancing your chewing ability.