The Smartest Doctor in the World
CHAPTER TWO: HOW TO LIVE
Letter 1
Why Do We Get Sick?
Hello my dear Julian!
I’m thrilled we’ve completed the first chapter where we talked about how we come into the world – what a marvellous journey, isn’t it? Now we begin the next important leg of this journey where we will explore more of this lovely tiny body you’re living in. Ready? Let’s go!
So, are you feeling well today?
I hope so, my dear!
You see, there will be days when you’ll be feeling great and full of energy, ready to rock all the games; and there will be days when you’ll be feeling not so well. Sometimes, our body is not working as it should be doing. Perhaps it’s just overwhelmed by the amount of things it’s doing – like when we eat too much, and we feel a bit bloated and sickly in our stomachs for a few hours. Sometimes it’s because we have picked up a virus (a tiny infection that stops our body working properly) – and until our body has removed that virus, we feel unpleasant symptoms, such as a headache, a stomach cramp, a pain here and there, mild things.
The wonderful news is that in almost every case, our body will deal with the problem.
Your body has its own defence system, able to recognise and fight any conditions and any organisms that can make us feel ill.
Sometimes an illness can be quick, gone in a few hours or after a good night’s sleep.
Sometimes it can be tougher and take longer to go away. In any case, the body will do its best to get us back to healthy. And if it can’t? That’s where doctors step in and help, making sure we’re doing the right things to heal in the quickest time.
Do not worry. Health up and downs are a natural part of the cycle of normal life (and feeling ill is usually a sign that our body is working properly, a sign it’s fighting to make us feel good again). Pain and illness can feel scary – but you can’t live your life in fear of them, or you’ll never be able to feel happy. Instead, you must live – as we all must – with the knowledge that your body is the smartest doctor in the whole world, and it will look after you until your very last day of this life.
Remember, your body is meant to grow old. You are meant to live for an amazingly long time, with your body successfully repairing itself again and again and again. Right from the very first day of your life, your body knows exactly how to keep you safe and healthy, and it will never stop working to keep you feeling good.
(You should listen to what your body says, dear Julian. It’s really smart.)
As babies, we look clean and pure and brand new – which is absolutely true, since we’ve just been made! We are not aware of much first, but the world quickly starts teaching us how everything works, using our senses (remember how they work?) and our emotions, thoughts and experiences.
As we continue to grow, we go from being babies to children, then teenagers, then adults and finally elderly people. This process takes many many years – and every second of every one of those years, your body will be hard and great at work, keeping you healthy and free of illness.
As you get older, you will discover your body creates little aches and pains here and there, just to remind you to look after it a bit better.
These aren’t things to worry about, my dear. Life is too busy to waste on worries like that! You live properly by making the most from what you’re given every day.
Every day of life is precious, filled with the wonder of discovering things, of walking, eating, tasting, feeling, hearing and seeing. Worries and fears stop you living your life that way – so they’re things to avoid.
So however you’re feeling today, dear Julian, enjoy it! Go play, smell the flowers, feel the sun, breath deeply, feel the joy, laugh hard and hug your mum and dad. So many things and feelings we get to experience!
It’s all a special gift from your body – the best friend you will ever have.
See you soon, my boy!
Love,
Auntie
This is a blog series after my book called Dear Julian: Welcome Letters To The World. Feel free to read it on the blog or buy the Kindle version on Amazon. Thanks for your support!
