bittman - mend a hole

To Mend a Hole: in the threads of life

by Barry Bittman, MD

It’s amazing how time flies!

Two years and 104 articles ago, I sat in front of my computer with a task at hand. Staring at the screen, I wondered what it would be like writing an ongoing column about whole person medicine. I also pondered the extent of my undertaking to offer a weekly dose of medical science, coupled with personal insights for enabling people to take an active role in their healing processes.

Actually there was no preconceived notion of what this experience would reveal. I simply decided to take it a week at a time. And I did just that.

Early on I faced the prospect that a flow of ideas could dry up at any point. Yet as the column evolved, a never-ending supply of new concepts and insights always seemed to surface¾ beckoning me to share them in a manner that might inspire and motivate people to help themselves.

Actually I’ve enjoyed a great deal of help with my writing. Lessons learned from patients and co-workers at the Mind-Body Wellness Center have been a great source of inspiration. Visionaries I’ve been fortunate to know through speaking engagements and interviews on my NPR show, Mind-Body Matters have also generated thought-provoking material that kept me awake at night until I could do them justice on paper the next morning.

I also owe a great deal to my children, Benjamin, Marcus and Lauren who seem to relentlessly share unexpected challenges and lessons I need to learn. It’s amazing to contemplate the extent of what our children teach us. Ultimately, I’m grateful for a never-ending source of wisdom and insights from my soulmate, Karen. Her caring, compassion, understanding of human nature and her knack for proofreading my material continue to make the column a joy to write each week.

So as I look ahead to what I’m about to learn from writing this column in the next millennium, I’d like to extend an offer to all of you. Why not drop me a line about a topic or personal insight? Perhaps I can weave some of your experiences into a message that will inspire and help others.

The last time I made such an offer, this is what surfaced. It’s called, “Stand Tall.”

Stand tall with your head held high,
to greet the people passing by.

A welcome smile, a concerned question, a hand-shake greeting as you pass on¾

will change a life, or cheer a heart that is down-cast or falling apart.

To mend a hole in the threads of life¾
a word will add hope instead of strife.

Even though you may be small, stand tall.

This poem was written a few years ago by Maisie Worral, a 79 year-young patient whose vitality is expressed by her creativity and down-to-earth wisdom. She “stands tall” as her writing focuses on the blessings of human interaction. Her life is a testimony to the power of staying young by inspiring others.

I was particularly impressed with Maisie’s passage, “To mend a hole in the threads of life¾ a word will add hope instead of strife.”

So in my last column of the millennium, I ask you to send your words that can add hope, inspiration and motivation for others. It’s time to weave your insights about health and well-being into the fabric of our community’s tapestry.

Allow me to take this opportunity to thank you for the many wonderful comments and letters I’ve received about this column over the last few years. And thank you, Maisie, for sharing a lesson we all need to learn. May the New Year and the new millennium bring health, happiness and inner peace¾ Mind Over Matter!