OTs as Healers of the Heart…

I just got home from the store and almost cried (don’t laugh) when I find out the one thing I wanted, lemon pepper tuna, was all out. So then I realized with my BRILLIANT mind that probably lemon pepper tuna was tuna with lemon and pepper. So I set out to make the salad I had wanted. Spring mix, then a layer of albacore tuna, then a bunch of squeezed lemon and a ton of pepper, then some white balsamic vinegar (white balsamic is my fav), then half an avocado, and finally, the part that made it all worth it….salt and vinegar potato chips on top. Yes, not the most healthy choice of croutons, but I’m eating pretty healthy these days….things like nonfat greek yogurt with fruit, nuts, salads, protein shakes….trying to get back on track. I also went to Pilates tonight, but a higher power loves me, because it was cancelled. 🙂 I was so tired, I was very grateful.

Today I got to stay at one school – treated a bunch of kids, consulted with a bunch of teachers, and got interviewed by a student, Shelby, who works in an after school program and is taking an anthropology course on healing. She had set up a time with me to be interviewed about OT as it was an assignment in her class to seek out a profession she was interested in. I was running a little late, whoops, but she was very nice. I was frantically cleaning up the room while we talked. 
Some food for thought from that interview. And by food for thought, when you consider the IQ of an eggplant, I don’t feel like that’s a very good expression. 
1) She asked me if I considered myself a healer. That was an interesting question. We can talk about downright physiological healing, but I see OT – in its highest forms, as healing the heart, through the hands, to semi quote Ora Ruggles. 🙂 Speaking of hands, my cat just bit me. 
2) She asked about whether or not OT evolved. I told her every day brought new discoveries and that if you thought you knew everything as an OT, that you were stupid. 🙂 Because I’m a super diplomatic person….
By the way, Susan B., an OT friend on Facebook, recently posted a link to the full copy of The Healing Heart, 
ou can supposedly read this online. It’s one of my favorite books and it really inspired me as an OT. My mom also read it while she was recovering from recent ankle surgery and she really liked it. It’s really hard to get your hands on a copy that isn’t super expensive, so I hope the link works for you all. 
PS – my great-grandma’s name was Ora – coincidence? 🙂
PS2 – super is my new favorite word. I am super sorry about that and will be super careful in the future to not use it so often….. 
Oct 10, 2012 | Category: Occupational Therapy | Comments: none