My heart is warmed when I think of my friend Marquerite. Unfortunately she passed away almost two years ago now. I believe she died before she hit 100 years of age. I wish I would have been able to see her beforehand. Thankfully, I am left with the fond memories we created together and the teachings she left me. I could probably fill a few chapters with what Marg taught me, but there is plenty of time to share those things perhaps in another book or wherever it is meant to be.
I guess one of the most profound lessons that Marg taught me is to be resourceful and that medicine doesn’t necessarily have to cost a lot. The medicine is oftentimes right in our kitchen or in some very old and inexpensive remedies.
This is a woman who never took antibiotics until she was in her early 90’s and was hospitalized for a reason that has escaped me now. I remember her telling me, “Kim, if they ever put me in a hospital again, please don’t let them give me those drugs.” “They do funny things to me.”
Marquerite lived in the house right next door. There were very few fences in Holland, New York so neighbors tended to visit a lot more with one another. Isn’t that wonderful! I have such fond memories of warm, summer saturday afternoons sitting on Marg’s back porch with a cup of tea, overlooking the garden that was about the size of a large bedroom. Marg tended it mostly by herself which I found highly impressive at her age! She always ate fresh and seldom did she go out to eat. That kind of thing was such a luxury to someone like Marg. When she did go out, she brought a doggie bag along with her so that she didn’t waste the leftovers.! She seldom had a drop of liquor either.
One time, I did start to have a drink with my dinner and then I found that I looked forward to it and sometimes missed it. Then I knew I shouldn’t drink if I felt like I missed it.
So, she never drank after that. Is there some lesson here? Not so sure, other than Marg listened to her body and she did what she felt comfortable with. As for me, I enjoy my cocktails as my friends well know.
One afternoon as we were sitting on the porch, I was sharing with her that I wasn’t feeling all that great, I was having terrible menstrual cramps. I had suffered from them since my early thirties. “Well, get a castor oil pack, that will cure them.” A what? I replied? A castor oil pack. Haven’t you ever heard of Edgar Cayce? No, I sure didn’t. Marg went onto explain who Edgar Cayce was and how he was able to heal people.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with this man, he lived in the 19th century and had an extraordinary gift of healing while putting himself in a sleep induced state. He has been named the “father of holistic medicine.” Not only did he have the ability to heal, he could also prophecy things to come and speak about how things came to be in years past. Somehow he had the ability to tap into the collective consciousness.
I have to admit I thought this was a bit far fetched! And a little “out there.” But! she peaked my interest nonetheless.
Marquerite got up from her porch chair, went into her home which was painted white on the outside, with plain and sturdy furnishings on the inside and left me for a few minutes to admire her garden and enjoy my tea.
She came out with a plastic bag that contained a piece of beige wool fabric and several pieces of paper that talked about Edgar Cayce and the healing properties of castor oil packs. Marguerite told me that it would cure my premenstrual cramps.
I wasn’t a believer, but they were too bad not to try something other than popping tylenol with codeine every month!
I went home that afternoon, drove to the health food store in East Aurora and purchased some castor oil. Well, I am not sure what was in that castor oil, but man did the heating pad feel good and my cramps began to subside. The instructions from Cayce were to apply the pack to the abdomen with a heating pad for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours for three days in a row and then rest for a few days and repeat. There is a more thorough explanation and short video on this link:http://www.edgarcayce.org/are/holistic_health/data/thcast1.html. I have used that trusty method for years now when my cramps get especially bad. It always works! Always! And, they would probably go away totally if I truly was committed to an hour a day for three days a week. We all take bits of information to see how it can apply to our lives and help our own circumstances.
There are many other lessons that Marg has taught me. Perhaps they are worth another blog or two. We shall see what moves me in the coming days, if lessons from other friends should be shared or if Marg has decided to visit for awhile until her message gets out to the world through my little blog.
Kimberley
