Born a Little Early
My sister Irka and I were due on August 25, but we arrived early—on May 25. (Maybe I was aiming for my husband.) I weighed 1,800 grams; my sister fared slightly better at 1,900 grams. Being so tiny, I caught meningitis. I sympathize with my parents now; I can’t imagine what they went through, especially since no one discussed my chances of survival. They brought me home in August after signing a waiver. As my mom says, I was saved by the 1980 Olympics—new, effective medications brought in for the athletes included one that saved my life. Maybe that’s why I’ve always felt a connection to the world of sports! 🙂
The amount of time we spent sick is terrifying to think about. Sometimes I want to turn around and ask, “Who is this even about?” But the sad fact remains: my sister and I don’t fear strict diets—we’ve lived on them since childhood, constantly dealing with ailments and restrictions. Fried, smoked, salted, and canned foods were completely foreign to us growing up. Strangely, Irka always seemed to suffer the worst, with all the complications and side effects, while my cases were milder. Still, we went through everything together. Sometimes we even dragged our older sister into the mix—“Let’s all catch chickenpox together; it’ll be more fun!”
By the time we turned 14, we developed a strong aversion to serious illness, especially since we sometimes caught rare illnesses that were one-off cases in our city. That’s when our creative search for identity began. Fortunately, we had sessions with a school psychologist at the time, and that helped immensely. Analyzing things—especially at that age—is one of the best ways to start finding your path in life.
That’s when I realized something: problems won’t go away—or they’ll keep coming back—until you become a whole person. As long as there’s a gap inside you, something will latch on. But when you become whole—whether through faith and spiritual strength, sports, or practices that help you find inner peace, physical strength, and endurance—you close yourself off to those negative forces. I’m getting a little carried away writing this, but it’s not a new idea: some people make themselves whole and healthy, while others keep complaining and visiting doctors.
One more thing: not everything depends on us. Much is inherited, and some problems we bring on ourselves. But there’s another way to change even the worst “inheritance” and lift heavy illnesses—and it comes down to how we think. Our thoughts and worldview can make a difference. I believe there’s an information field and that every cell carries its own information. I can’t remember the last time I felt or thought of myself as sick. For many years now I’ve held onto one thought: “I am healthy!!!” I live and breathe that. With the positivity around me, I don’t even entertain the idea that something could be wrong. Some might call this “rose-colored glasses,” but I haven’t taken them off. In any critical situation I see the reality of what’s happening; I don’t turn away from the truth. Seriously— it works.
p.s. I think my enthusiasm might have even scared me a little… So please don’t judge too harshly! :))))
