My 16 year old just got back from her 22-day expedition! Strapped with a carry on and a sleeping bag, she set sail with 9 other teens and 3 instructors courtesy of The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). (She's wearing the purple jacket in the middle.) Every night brought a new beach. Every day was a lesson in sailing, communication, leadership and survival.
I had no idea how much I'd miss my unruly teen...
Lily has been with me since the day I started ThePeopleChemist.com. That was 16 years ago.
Every phase of her growing up has sped by, yet I feel like I've been waiting forever to see the amazing woman she has become.
Only one year old, mom was busy working at a hair salon. I had just quit my career as a bench chemist. For the next four years, Lily and I did everything together.
I jogged and she sat patiently in her stroller....we made fun of the Coke trucks delivering diabetes...we made trips to visit mom for milk and we wrestled endlessly in the afternoon, pretending that we had escaped Earth and were taking over a new planet.
Late afternoon, mom would come home and I'd write my book and business plan. Evening was reserved for FREE fitness assessments at the local gym. And on the rare occasion that Lily got sick, I'd come home early to stay up with her. We'd breath Vicks and sip Sleepy Time tea.
Picking her up this weekend, we were reunited, yet had never left each other.
She had been stripped of the societal norms that place undue pressure on teens. She walked light and had the confidence that's endemic to her, but was previously suppressed. The worries of school, college, social media and idiot peers had sunk and she had blossomed.
She reminisced on not missing a bed or tent. She insisted that the sleeping bag under the stars became her favorite bedroom. She said the sunrise was her alarm clock...and she spoke proudly about her 24-hour solo, night swim and capsize drill.
"High school is even more lame, now," she warned...
I get it. "You're more independent...."
Mission accomplished.
If there's one thing I want my kids to learn, it's independence and leadership. They shouldn't ever have to rely on others.
The same thing is true in health. Being healthy is all about taking charge. This was the theme in my book, Over-The-Counter Natural Cures Expanded. I introduce nutrient logic, which proves that when the body has basic nutrients, it can heal itself independent of Wester Medicine.
Be independently healthy in 2018 by reading www.bestcurebook.com - it makes a life changing gift too!
Dare to live young,
The People's Chemist
P.S. Daily Dose is on low stock alert at www.thepeopleschemist.com/store. My curcumin-based multi-vitamin is being hoarded by holiday shoppers! Stock up!
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