In reality, no one likes getting sick. It's an inconvenience, it’s a pain (literally) and sometimes we just plain don’t have time for it, but it’s a necessary part of life for spiritual growth and evolution.
I’ve noticed many of my friends and family have been catching “the bug” lately, whether it’s the stomach bug, a sinus infection or the common cold. I usually say to them, well, that’s because a major growth is coming your way. Some of them get it while others are less than amused with my matter of fact answer; in fact some were downright angry with me for not reacting the way they’d hoped. I’m OK with it because I realize that when we don’t feel good we are more easily agitated, irritable and sensitive. I try to give them a little space and not take things personally.
So, today I woke up and it’s my turn. I’m not feeling so well but the fact that I don’t feel good brings me a twinge of eagerness. I know that sounds a little batty… that’s OK too! Maybe it’s the bug talking but I’m downright excited to see how and what growth God has in store for me. I am accepting this period of not feeling 100% as a lesson. I will use it as a time to practice my tools in my spiritual toolbox and share with you. The fact that I’m not feeling well tells me there is a growth of some type coming. This literally excites me and helps me to accept that while I’m not feeling well, I know something bigger is going on.
It’s like when I was young and my legs would hurt for no reason (or so I thought) and my granny would say, those are growing pains shuga, you’re growin! I used to think, well I don’t see anything happening, but boy was she right. It wasn’t until later in life I would realize just how right on she was with that phrase. When we are not feeling well it is life’s way of slowing us down so that we can fully rest and relax into the growth that is coming.
On a spiritual level, what’s happening is this: There are literally old layers of accumulated stuff that’s being burned away in order for you to get to your next phase or cycle in life. Your body is purging old cells or cellular memory. It’s quite necessary for evolution. Since we as humans, because we’re so busy, almost never take the essential time to honor our bodies, our bodies, at some point, make us rest and slow down. This is usually when we get sick.
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Learning to nurture my body through these periods has been such an eye opener for me. I can feel one of these phases coming on and here’s how it shows up for me: I get emotional, irrational, my thinking gets off and I feel disconnected. Almost like I am here in this world but like I’m watching it rather than living in it. So here’s what I do: I double down on my salt baths, I triple my meditations and I try to eat healthfully, exercise and get plenty of rest but hey I’m human and sometimes I get behind on my self care routine and find myself already in the danger zone. It’s never to late to start taking care of yourself, so now that I’m not feeling well I will do all the things I mentioned above to nurture myself as well as spend time in my meditation visualizing my healthy body, mind and spirit. I will find delight in life’s simple pleasures. I will slow down; enjoy the sunshine on my face, the wind through my hair, and the feeling of being right where I am meant to be. I think I’m feeling better already. ☺
Acceptance of where I’m at is key to making it through these periods without snapping at someone or being unkind to anyone. Knowing my limits and also respecting my own boundaries is essential for me while feeling less than 100%. Knowing when to decline an invite to somewhere or honoring when I need to stay home and take care of myself is crucial and often difficult. Putting into action the steps I need to take to feel better can be a daunting task. Again, I’m human so I am constantly getting opportunities to practice these lessons. I am learning day to day to honor where I’m at and luckily God gives me earth angels in the form of friends who have been such blessings in my life that remind me to take care of myself.
Which leads me to my next topic. Find your soul family or shine tribe to help keep you grounded, remind you who you are and who you came here to be. These people are the ones who after you leave their presence your soul feels full. They inspire you as well as encourage you to be the best you can be. Gather with these people as often as time allows. Make the time to be there for them and to see each other. Cherish these connections, be grateful for them and always be the holder of sacred space for one another. You have something to learn from everyone you cross paths with, it’s remaining openhearted enough to receive the lesson that is the real practice and your shine tribe can help you do this.
Being sick doesn’t have to be a drag… It can be a wonderful time of self-discovery. If utilized correctly, being sick can be an opportunity for one to disconnect from the world, and reconnect with you. Being sick can sometimes be just what we need to renew, recalibrate and reconstruct our energy in order to come back even stronger and better than before!
Today is my 38th birthday and I've been sick as a dog. The only thing I know for sure is that I've got another UTI-my second in the past month. The strep, flu and Covid-19 tests have all come back negative so far, so we're all scratching our heads. I promise I'm not writing for you to feel sorry for me. I'm writing to process what's happening, and really, what's happened over this past year of life.
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I honestly can't remember if I had any birthday wishes when I blew out the candles on my cake last year. But I do remember the cake-it was a delicious chocolate cake from a local bakery. I am usually team vanilla-funfetti to be exact-but last year I wanted something different. Now looking back over the past year I've lived, chocolate feels like a prophetic choice. Nothing this year has looked or gone how I anticipated or expected.
About a month after my birthday last year is when I got the text about an unplanned pregnancy that led to us getting prepared to adopt. It was an all-consuming process, I emotionally felt pregnant yet I had no idea what would happen once the baby was born. As many of you know, the situation didn't go as we hoped. Had you told me last year on my 37th birthday that on the morning of my 38th birthday, I'd be raising two kiddos, it would have been hard to believe. If you would have told me I'd wake up in a different house, I wouldn't have believed that either. (Spoiler alert: we've moved.) But then again... I wanted chocolate cake last year. Different. New. Unexpected. Big losses and big gains.
For starters-I've learned, or been reminded that, I am loved. Birthdays are great for remembering that other people on the planet appreciate that you exist. I'll be honest: Sometimes I do forget. Today has also reminded me about how fortunate I am to be married to Mikey B. He had a special day planned for us-complete with a babysitter and couples massages-and he canceled our plans and lounged on the couch with me all day. He picked up food and we watched baking shows. He missed his company Christmas party to hang out with his sick birthday-girl wife. He wasn't angry, upset or frustrated.
Today I've learned that you can celebrate your life even when you feel crappy, but it takes mental strength and making a choice. I've had to override the physical beatdown of sickness and the emotional disappointment of celebrations not going like I'd hoped. When I've caught myself wanting to throw a pity party, I've seriously had to choose gratitude. That... Another reason Mikey B's amazing? He knows cake is the one thing I need each year for my birthday.
I'm not going to lie... There's nothing like a birthday to make you analyze your life. With another year gone, you think of how you've spent your time and vow to do better in the next year. Birthday superstitions can help drag you out of the birthday doldrums as you age, providing easy ways to boost your luck, find love, and finally live the life you want before the next birthday rolls around.
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A typical birthday ritual involves family members setting up candles on a birthday cake. There should be one candle on the cake for each year of life, of course, and if you manage to blow them all out at once, you'll be married within a year. Missed a few? Don't worry; just get as many as you can. The number of candles remaining lit tells you how many years you have until your wedding day.
One of the most widely recognized birthday superstitions in western cultures involves blowing out the candles on a cake, but this one has nothing to do with love and marriage. Instead, you're supposed to make a wish as you blow out the candles. Obviously, this gets harder to do each year, as yet another candle gets added to the mix, so take a big breath to boost your chances for success. This custom may have originated in Germany, where people added an extra-large candle to the middle of the cake.
In a move that would spook health professionals everywhere, some superstitions call for baking objects inside a birthday cake. One such superstition involves adding a ring to the mix before baking the cake. The guest who gets the slice with the ring baked inside will be the next to marry. If that person is already married, the ring simply provides a boost of luck. Another tradition requires adding a dime to the mix before baking.
When you run into a friend who has a birthday coming up, it's only natural to wish that person a happy birthday in advance. In Russia, for example, you should never celebrate a birthday until the actual date. If you can't do it that day, wait until afterward to avoid bad luck. In Germany, even wishing someone a happy birthday before the day of the event is bad luck.
What if you forget your birthday altogether? While it's bad luck in some cultures to celebrate too early, some superstitions suggest that offering birthday greetings at just the right time brings luck. Prompt birthday wishes are particularly important when children are involved; in this case, birthday greetings should be offered as soon as the child wakes up, before any other activities have taken place.
In some extremely lucky cultures, people are given the opportunity to become a kid again when they reach a certain age. When a man reaches the age of 61 in Japan, he enters his kanreki, or second childhood. From this point on, he can forget all his troubles and receive the gift of a clean slate, or a rebirth of sorts. In Korea, this tradition occurs when you reach the age of 60.
Like the Americans and their tradition of birthday spankings, the Italians have a bizarre custom for celebrating a birthday by tugging on the ear lobe. To increase the length of the earlobes, at least symbolically, you should give your earlobe a slight tug for each year of life. You can also ask trusted friends or family members to help with the tradition.
A birthday might be a perfect day for cake, presents and a party, but there are some things you simply shouldn't do on your big day, at least according to superstition. For example, getting married on your birthday is a definite don't, thought to bring bad luck in love. Luckily - maybe - your birthday is seen as an excellent time to die.
In China, snacking on vermicelli brings good vibes, as does a nice meal of primroses. A cake shaped like a peach is also seen as a lucky symbol. Some superstitions claim that the day you were born will determine your whole personality. It's likely that this superstition has Christian origins, since it saves the very best qualities for the child who enters the world on a Sunday [source: Webster].
According to German tradition, celebrating your birthday early can bring you bad luck. One of the most common superstitions is that if you are sick with something on your birthday, it means poor luck awaits you for the rest of the year. Also, some people believe getting a gift for a sick person means that it's their last and they won't be able to see the next gift.
Most cultures believe that celebrating your birthday early brings bad luck and misfortune. However, when it comes to pinpointing the best time to celebrate, these superstitions tend to contradict each other. As birthdays are supposed to be a joyous occasion, attending a funeral on your birthday is considered to be unlucky.
After more than eight years as a writer, this was one of my most difficult articles to research. That definitely surprised me, as it seems like such a simple topic. Sure, there are plenty of traditions out there, but many of them couldn't really be described as superstitions. What drew me in while writing was the pure romance and nostalgia of baking a ring or coin into a cake - imagine if someone were to do that today - hello, lawsuit! I was also enchanted by the Asian custom of starting over when you reach a certain age.
Here's a table summarizing some birthday superstitions from various cultures:
| Culture/Belief | Superstition |
|---|---|
| Western Cultures | Blowing out all candles on the cake in one breath ensures your wish comes true. |
| Germany | Celebrating a birthday early brings bad luck. |
| Russia | Never celebrate a birthday before the actual date to avoid bad luck. |
| China | Snacking on vermicelli brings good vibes. A cake shaped like a peach is a lucky symbol. |
| Japan (age 61) | Entering kanreki signifies a second childhood, a chance to start over. |
| Korea (age 60) | Similar to Japan, reaching this age marks a rebirth. |
| Italy | Tugging on the earlobe for each year of life brings good luck. |