Healing Water(s)

My DM passed on in '94 at age 76. One of my few regrets in life is that I never told her how many things I appreciated about her being my mother. I seem to re-discover things she told me at the oddest times.

One thing that I am falling back on, quite often these days, is what she taught us three rambunctious kids about how to get started in the morning. She absolutely would not let us come to the breakfast table unless we had first washed up. This meant a full face-wash, at least. If she spotted "sleep" in our eyes, back up that long flight of stairs we went.

We used to think she was buying time, trying to keep from dealing with us as long as she could avoid it. However, her wisdom is apparent to me now that I am older.

I find that washing my face, or even just a very generous splashing of water, is sometimes all I need to continue on with my day. Many days, I feel fatigued, and I worry that I will not get everything done, or worse, not get it done right. Many days, I just cannot get started. Those days, I remember Mom and the ritual of the washing of the face.

I head into one of the bathrooms, or even the kitchen sink, and splash water on my face. I make sure that some of that healing, bracing water gets into my eyes at least a time or two. It doesn't have to be ice cold, or really hot - lukewarm is fine, as long as it is wet. It is amazing how much it perks me up. I have even gone into a restroom while at work, over the years, and performed the splash-and-renew trick. A simple act, but miraculous.

I remember meeting Alex Haley during the 70s at a get-together with about 30 writers in a So Calif hilltop home. He talked about how stressed he was when he was in full writer's mode, going days at a time with next to no sleep. Listeners obviously did not believe he had gone without sleep as long as he claimed. Then he told us his secret. Showers. As often as needed. They braced him, and re-charged him.

Yep, my DM was a smart, wise woman back in the 40s, and I am glad she passed her wisdom on to us.