“Be Well!”

“Good Health to you.”
This is my gift and my challenge to you.
For the health you enjoy, I have granted you
And I give you the challenge to nurture, sustain and grow this good health.

My art is present in many around you.
It is in the Doctor and Nurse, who use knowledge of science to diagnose and to treat.
It is in the nutritionist, the herbalist and massage therapist, who aid not only in recovering, but also in sustaining health.
It is in the intuitive, and the energy worker.

All practice a form of my art, for I am the Healer
I am Aesculapeus, bearer of the Staff of Healing
I am Thoth, who first taught man the science of the body
I am Apollo, whose glorious rays bring warmth and comfort.

I am the Healer. All who seek healing seek me, and all who give of themselves to bring healing are part of me. They are the Healer
And You are the Healer.

This gift, this power, this spark is also in you. Without your even needing to think of it, your body repairs itself daily. Though sometimes, you need a little more. And while there are specific techniques, paths you may take to increase your healing, there are also, everyday things you can do to heal yourself.

Take a deep breath, and then exhale. Listen to your own intuition. Hear what it’s telling you to do for yourself.
Do you need rest, or do you need to dance?
Do you need peace and quiet, or do you need loud drumming and noise?
Do you need to apologize to someone? Do you need to forgive?

You are the Healer for others as well. You already have been.
When you stayed with a friend who was ill.
When you made someone laugh when they wanted to pout.
When you listened to a friend’s troubles, and told them it was OK to cry.
Or when you couldn’t find words, but gave comfort through a touch.

You are the Healer to our community as well.
We are a community with many wounds.
Sometimes those wounds come from cruel words, namecalling or jokes.
Sometimes it is laws that deny that we are equal human beings.
Too often,we are the victims of physical violence against us.

We are still the community most affected by HIV and AIDS.

But through these wounds, we have become a community of Healers.
When we march in the pride parade, we counter the wounds of doubt and self-hate we all have suffered.
Just by being out of the closet, we help others overcome their fears, letting them know that they are not alone.
There are many simple things we can do that are great acts of healing.
Challenging someone who uses offensive language toward gays, or any group of people. Participating in fundraisers for AIDS research. Volunteering to help the sick.

For some, the path may include a specific Healing Art. It could be medicine, or nursing. Perhaps massage therapy, aromatherapy, or herbalism. Even more esoteric paths such as Reiki, energy work, or crystals. If such a path feels right for you, then I challenge you to pursue it. But they are not the only ways to be a Healer.

We are, already, every one of us, _the Healer. _
And this world needs every one of us.