The Wooden Bowl

 Filed under: Others — Vivienne Quek @ Jul 29th, 2010

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. Very nurturing to the soul.

I was forwarded this story via an email which did not specify who is the writer. If anyone out there knows who wrote this wonderful piece, let me so that I can include a credit line.


THE WOODEN SPOON

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in- law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’ s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in- law became irritated with the mess.

‘We must do something about father,’ said the son. ‘I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.’

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather’ s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.

He asked the child sweetly, ‘What are you making?’ Just as sweetly, the boy responded,
‘Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. ‘ The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather’ s hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I’ve learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:
a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I’ve learned that making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as making a ‘life..’

I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands.You nee d to be able to throw something back sometimes.

I’ve learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you

I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.

I’ve learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch — holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I’ve learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about ..I just did.


 Health Quote by Mohandas K. Gandhi

 Filed under: Health Quotes — Vivienne Quek @ Jul 27th, 2010

There is more to life than increasing its speed. ~Mohandas K. Gandhi


 Eczema in Children Symptoms

 Filed under: Eczema — admin @ Jul 25th, 2010

It takes more than just an itch and redness to determine the real eczema in children symptoms. Eczema is theorized to be affected by a variety of factors but the real golden explanation behind the main cause of eczema remains unclear. Eczema in children symptoms was surveyed to be triggered by the following factors. The allergic response of the immune system to specific allergens or allergy causing substances like Foods containing or having ingredients like fish, nuts, eggs, honey and wheat. Extremes of temperature have been found by experts to have a link in developing eczema. Hereditary factors or familial tendencies tend to run over the development of the said condition.

Eczema in children symptoms are redness in the form of blisters that is most often itchy. The redness appears in the face, cheeks, nape, in the circumference of the neck and in the clavicle. It also appears in the extremities. The elbows, fore arms, hands, behind the knees and legs are the sites where you can mostly observe eczema. Crusting, bleeding, lesions, skin discoloration, flaking and blistering are more often associated with eczema symptoms. Though eczema appears mostly in the extremities, it can even spread to the anterior and posterior region of the trunk. As the child grows older, the redness or the rash will be lesser in circumference and scalier than its first appearance. The redness also will feel more of itchier and drier this time around. The condition usually relieves and at times returns unexpectedly.

Eczema symptoms in children include itching but be warned that itching complicates the condition. Eczema in children symptoms subside when the child reaches 5 or 6 while episodes during the earlier years usually resolve within months but can even last up to years with occasional relapse of the itching, redness and bleeding.

Additional Reading on Experts’ Views on Children Eczema


 The Truth About Baby Eczema

 Filed under: Eczema — admin @ Jul 20th, 2010

Baby eczema affects millions of babies around the world and probably the most occurring skin disease among infants and newborns. It affects all ages but among the most common cases are children and newborns.

Eczema is the inflammation of the skin, the first layer, called the epidermis. Baby eczema can either be mild or moderate which can be managed using emollient oils, soaps and other topical methods. The symptoms of eczema include itching, redness, cracking, flaking and bleeding in the elbows, arms, behind the knees, face, cheeks nape and trunks. In worst cases eczema occurs together with diseases like asthma and hay fever. For such cases, the child should be taken care of and make sure the surrounding is clear of allergens.

What causes eczema? The real cause behind eczema remains as a mystery among the medical field but theories arise regarding the main suspect behind. It is argued the eczema is caused by food allergies on foods containing nuts, fish, wheat and eggs. Others argue that stress and psychological reactions of the body to stress and crisis leads to the condition. Some theorists state that it runs in the family. An infant with baby eczema is more likely to experience the disease if he/she has a sibling that once developed the skin condition.

Treatments are available in different forms. Emollients, soaps ant topical steroid are just few of the many methods of treatment that you can use. But proceed with caution because the pharmacologic treatments need close medical supervision due to the side effects. Eczema usually fades and resolves as the child grows older. In time the condition subsides when the person reaches the teenage years. Eczema is also characterized by relapses and an episode may last within duration of weeks to months. Baby eczema is a cruel cycle that goes on and on.

Additional Reading
Cure Child Eczema by Audrey Lynn


 Healthy Quote by Jennifer Yane

 Filed under: Health Quotes — Vivienne Quek @ Jul 19th, 2010

I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once. ~Jennifer Yane


 Quick Remedies for Babies with Eczema

 Filed under: Eczema — Vivienne Quek @ Jul 15th, 2010

If your bundle of joy is suffering from eczema, he/she will surely cry and even scream when the itch became unbearable. On top that, he/she has to deal with dry skin and even sores.

Thankfully there are quite several home remedies that parents and caregivers can experiment and see if they work for you

Moisturize
The first step is to keep the skin moisturized. Use a natural Aloe Vera lotion several times a day will help. You may reapply frequently to keep baby’s skin from drying out. Avoid any lotions that contains fragrances and alcohols. Beside moisturizing externally, let her drink plenty of fluid to ensure he/she is well-watered.

Oatmeal Bath
An oatmeal bath is very soothing and help skin heal. You can pour two cups of oats in a food processor (or use a coffee grinder) and grind them into a powder and add them to a running bath of lukewarm water. let your precious one soak in the oatmeal bath for about 10 – 15 minutes. After which, carefully rinse with clean water and dry with a soft towel. It is OK bath baby with an oatmeal bath twice daily.

Healing Lotions
Healing lotions and certain oils (such as Watermelon and Coconut Oil)will shorten healing time, moisturize and protect the baby’s skin. Lotions to look for are those made with blueberry leaves. Blueberry leaves are really excellent at relieving inflammation of eczema, irritation and itching.

Zinc is also a great ingredient. Apply zinc lotion directly on the affected area.

Lotion that contains vitamin E, or apply vitamin E oil directly on the affected area, can work well too. It will quickly reduce itching and improve healing. Continue applying the vitamin E oil until the skin is healed.

Reduce Irritants
Some babies experience eczema because they are allergic to detergents. You may want to change to a pure soap for bathing as well as all cleaning and laundry to see if your baby’s eczema improves.

Luckily, most babies outgrow eczema, or at the very least, it will improve as he/she gets older.

Additional Reading on Experts’ Views on Eczema

Additional Reading on “Homemade Eczema Treatment” by Vivienne Quek


 Health Quote by Danzae Pace

 Filed under: Healthy Lifestyle — Vivienne Quek @ Jul 12th, 2010

Stress is the trash of modern life – we all generate it but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life. ~Danzae Pace


 Health Quote by usan Mitchell and Catherine Christie

 Filed under: Healthy Lifestyle — Vivienne Quek @ Jul 5th, 2010

Sometimes it seems your ever-increasing list of things to do can leave you feeling totally undone. ~Susan Mitchell and Catherine Christie, I’d Kill for a Cookie