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Monday, November 13, 2023

Medicine

(ground) chicken soup
     Thanks to a good friend, my daughter, and my wifeand their kitchen fearlessnessI can now make a delicious chicken soup. It's pretty easy: I think the secret is the right combo of garlic and ginger. 
     So why was I intimidated? Probably because chicken soup has a legendary reputation: it's basically medicine, right? And we all need some medicine occasionally, especially at this time of the year. As winter here redraws the landscape white and shades the sky grey most days, we must find our medicines where we can, in the kitchen and otherwise. 
     Poet e.e. cummings described Winter as a "murderer" standing over a "snowstopped silent world." Yikes. There might not be enough chicken soup in the world for that mindset. As a Canadian in the North, I can appreciate, even respect Winter, but sometimes it messes with my mindset: ongoing darkness, roadway stress, vague dis-ease. 
     Yet my worrisome Winter mindset is just that: one perspective. It's reframe-able. It's the difference between distress and eustress. I find this language helpful. As you know, distress is longer-term stress with negative impacts, like a break-up, financial problems, or work-demands; but eustress is short-term and beneficial stress, like moving to a new community, or flying for the first time, or learning something newit helps motivate us, builds character, inspires growth.
     If only the words themselves made it that easy, eh? Although the distinction provides perspective, too much snow can be less of an opportunity to go sledding down a steep hill and more of just much too much snow. Sigh. 
     Dear friends, I encourage you to consider how you react to the snow, (inevitable struggle) and to make, or find your medicine where you can.

6 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Thanks for teaching me a new word -- "eustress"

Anvilcloud said...

I am learning new words today -- eustress and dis-ease.

Bets.io said...

Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a clear and concise manner.

Christina said...

I am not fond of chicken soup. I have never been able to view it as food, just something for the unwell. Living in the west of Scotland, winter is mostly wet, windy and dark, which I find difficult. Alas, it too will pass.

Vinny C said...

Now that I do all of my own cooking, I've been thinking about trying my hand at some local soup dishes. I've been hesitant since I've never cooked any kind of soup before (unless pack ramen counts). Maybe I'll actually give it a try.

DB Stewart said...

Good plan, Vinny C...and that's a very eustress plan. #insertfistbumpphere

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