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gregorio-r-j · 3 years

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ECQ THROUGH THE LENS OF A STUDENT

Today my tumbler entry will be filled with my insight of the COVID Life from the perspective of a not so privileged student dealing with academics and early twenties life crisis.

That’s it? It’s been a year already? Where have my 2020 gone? – This question summarizes the whole 2020 journey of almost every one of us. Don’t you all agree that this is one of the worst years this generation has faced? I mean, just look at the left and right tragedies, disasters, war, human hostilities, global pandemic, and the number of unfortunate events that 2020 has brought. Could it be worse? Who would’ve thought that we can lose everything we love and enjoy in our daily life in just a blink of an eye? Looking back to March last year, when the first wave of COVID19 hit our country and ECQ was first implemented, we never have imagined that things will only get worse and this ECQ life will continue up to this day.

Honestly, setting aside the fear of facing the unknown virus and uncertain effects it may impose on our lives, I think the first few months of our ECQ and COVID life is so much lighter and better than how it is today. Whether we admit it or not, I think last year we all expect to be freed from ECQ at this point and be back to our normal life but the opposite happened. Back then we don't have many worries and all we are troubled about is not contracting the disease and how to cope up with being stuck at home with nothing to do and away from our normal and daily life. A lot of us discovered our ways to cope with the quarantine life and boredom. Trends are arising successively and people are sharing their love for diverse things such as Korean dramas, plants, American series, and other common interests. In my case, I found my simple joy in cooking and watching dramas too.

For some, it was a good time to reflect on themselves and return to their long-forgotten passion that they set aside to cope up with the busy daily life but for others, this was not the case. Well, if we look at it from a different perspective, these are just things people do to distract themselves from the continuous rise of the daily number of covid cases that leave everyone with fear and anxiety. This phase only lasts for a few months because the succeeding months are just too much to handle. Aside from the actual health crisis and economic problems the world is facing, we also have household matters such as financial issues, bonds, and individuality, and personal concerns such as academics, individual responsibility, etc. And this pandemic has further shown us the true nature of humanity and how it is like to live with privilege.

Most of the measures the government has implemented in its fight against the pandemic can be considered pro-privileged and anti-poor. The ECQ, MECQ, GCQ or whatever type of lockdowns and quarantine they implemented to contain the spread of the virus made the people on the low level of society suffer from financial issues as many have lost their jobs and source of income. Yes, this is with good intention and they give financial support but this is not enough to sustain a family’s needs but this move neglect the life and sufferings of some people. Moreover, not everyone received financial support and some officials even have the audacity to corrupt the money that is intended for the people. Even the government’s solution to the continuance of education and academic are not accessible or affordable by anyone. The online class setup is only effective for those who are privileged and have the means to engage in it. Not everyone has access to the internet, has gadgets they can use to attend their classes, and has a healthy environment at home where they can focus on their academics and education. These kinds of solution that only benefits those who are privileged and are unfair to those who have less in life only widens the gaps in education forcing many to even consider giving up on their education.

On a personal view, upon reflecting on my ECQ experience and journey, I don’t think I will ever be able to describe how the past year has been for me. I think the closest way to describe it is that it was a mixture of anxiousness, anger, loneliness, failures, disappointment, realizations, and a whole lot of mess with tiny dust of sparkles and sunshine. It was so much more than just a roller coaster ride. During lockdown I found myself asking questions about every single thing about life that doesn’t enter my mind and concern me before. As a 3rd-year college student dealing with one of the hardest phases in my life. I'm honestly exhausted with academics and I do no longer love it the same way that I used to. I haven't exactly moved on yet with the implementation of the k-12 program and now we are faced with a global pandemic and are forced to continue our education in a virtual setting.

At first, I thought it was actually for the better since I can save a lot of expenses and time and save myself from the hassle of traveling to university and dealing with traffic as well as other people. But in a bigger picture, I have realized that we students lose so much more than what we gain from this online academic setup. I used to just smirk when people say college is only bearable when you have your circle of people to bear it with and a healthy learning environment otherwise it can eat you up alive but today I'm seeing what they meant by that. College truly is only bearable when you have people to bear it with and I regret taking that for granted.

During my 1st-2nd year in college, I remember how I was always looking forward to going home and waiting for class suspensions because all I care about was to rest in the comfort of our home. I always think that staying extra longer on campus after class is a waste of time if it is not for organization stuff and university events but now I have realized that the simple joy of spending time with your friends in the field after a long tiring day, eating out with them to enjoy their company, classroom jamming, rehearsals and going out on short trips to manila after exams is a big part of our college life and are some of the most memorable and important parts of surviving college. If only I have foreseen this pandemic to last I would have spent more time with them, eat out in different eateries and restaurants near campus, watching movies, or just simply lay in the field side by side with them complaining about how tiring academics was. I would have enjoyed and attended more events from councils and would have been more active in joining organizations. I miss Odiba days, Christmas tree lighting, and concerts, and even outreach programs we used to attend back on our normal student days.

Sad to say those days have all gone by and we're never really sure if we can go back to how it was before we leave the university a year from now. Everything I have mentioned so far is just a glimpse of our college life that we cannot enjoy in today's online classes but aside from losing all these fun and bright side of being college students, we are also struggling with a lot of setbacks and challenges dealing with the new normal not so friendly and pro-privileged online classes. Honestly, at this point, I don’t know anymore if I have learned from the past semesters we spent through the online setup and if it’s all worth it. The online class is so much more demanding than face-to-face setups in terms of workloads and stress. It’s like a constant chase of deadlines, procrastination, submissions, exams, and nothing else but a survival game that we need to finish to reach our goal and graduate. I have never feared Mondays and 11:59 p.m as much as I do now. Exhausting and draining are not enough to describe how online classes are for students and professors especially if you are enrolled in a university wherein wishing for an academic break to breathe a little from all the stress and hardship of online classes is considered as an excused for laziness. Seems like even university administrators forgot that we are humans and not machines or robot, but even these things malfunction and fail if it’s overused.

This online academic setup has taken its toll on me both in physical and mental aspects. I used to sacrifice sleep, family time, going out, self-enjoyment and my health for the sake of academics but today I cannot afford to sacrifice these because I’m barely making it through and now all I care and focus about is passing and getting works done, I’m no longer thriving but surviving instead. I cannot even bother to break down and crumble when I receive low scores even though I’m used to receiving competent grades because I would rather finish another work that has been piling up on canvas instead of crying over what can’t be changed. It is true when they say that the line between academic and personal time is becoming blurred. In the online class setup, we are no longer students for 6-8 hours like in face-to-face classes but we are becoming 24 hours available students who need to cope up with all the works in every hour of our day available, it is so serious that even sleeping made us feel guilty most of the time. I’m at this point where I’m wondering if all of these sacrifices are worth it.

My quarantine life revolves mostly around fighting my demons. It's like a constant fight against monsters my mind has created. Aside from the constant stress and pressure on my academics, I have also been dealing with life pressures. As a woman in her early twenties stuck in college and juggling academics, family responsibilities, and life progress, and personal growth, I have faced challenges and problems that I have never imagined would cross my path and I had to deal with the consequences of my past decisions and the responsibilities that comes with it. What keeps me going throughout these hard times are my family and friends. Honestly, I would have gone insane or depressed if it's not for them. The academic pressure and all the problems arising in our society is just too much to handle on one’s own and I’m happy that I am blessed enough to be surrounded by people who supports me and believes in me so much sometimes even more than I believe in myself knowing that it is not the case for everyone.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the real meaning of life and how I choose to live it. What’s there to value and give importance to and how we are so blinded and focus on living the life that society tells us to live instead of making a life of our own? Honestly, I just can’t see what comes next after all of this because as of today all I care about is to survive. I am anxious about what the future will hold and where life will lead me someday. Dealing with the pandemic which forced me to stop working towards my goals and plans and losing almost one and a half year of my life that I could have used to focus on my goals and achieving my dreams is truly regretful and depressing. It’s like I’m getting older and older and I haven’t achieved much which makes me think that I am taking longer in life than my peers. Some of them are getting married and having families, some are already working, some are building their own business, and here I am in my room dealing with deadlines and looking forward to an uncertain future. I wish I will soon figure things out and find motivation again, or at least know where it is that I want to go and what is it really that I wanted to achieve.

@bertongbigtime

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paulinesherrera · 4 years

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How to Live the College Life

Most, if not all high school students, anticipate living the college life. At first, I thought it was about independence that I finally get to decide things on my own, but as I go through the span of time, I realized some thoughts that people have to keep in mind as they step foot on the journey of their college life:

1. Enroll to your dream program

One of the main foundations of your college life is the program that you’re enrolled in. Make sure that it is the program that fits your passion and happiness, not just something that you were forced to take. Are you willing to spend 4 years of your life surviving the program that you don’t like in the first place? It would be hard to persevere, and the only tendency is that you will have the thoughts to shift your program and restart your environment all over again. So as early as enrolling for your freshman year, choose the path that your heart desires.

2. Choose your circle

In college, not everyone is your friend. Every student came from different parts of the country –with diverse beliefs, cultures, routines, and mindsets. While it is true that you should bear with everyone, keep in mind that you have to be cautious on whom you trust. Unless you found a home in a circle, never settle to a group that does not fit your morals and standards. Find a circle that lifts everyone up and supports you in every step of the way –not a random group just “to belong”. This is the phase when you will realize that it is all about the quality of friendship rather than its quantity. Nonetheless, it’s alright to be all by yourself.

3. Decide for yourself

There are cases wherein you will be the one to chose your schedule –the reason why time is certainly in the palm of your hands. Make the most out of your idle time for you have the liberty to do whatever you want. Be independent of your decisions that you do not have to rely on other’s vacancy in order to fill yours. Remember that in every choice you make, you and only you will suffer its consequence: If you choose to have a night out rather than to study for an exam, your choice. If you choose to sleep rather than to accomplish your requirement due tomorrow, again, your choice. Do not be swayed by peer pressure because the choice is yours. Be matured enough to take responsibility of yourself.

4. Learn to adjust

In college, not everyone and everything will adjust for your convenience. Learn to adjust and adapt in order to scrutinize what works despite the situation. If your home is far from school, adjust your after class activities so that you’ll still have time to rest and do your works at home. If your daily allowance needs to be compromised with a sudden school fund collection, adjust the amount of money that you spend on food and cravings. If you’re not used to studying for hours, learn to adapt the habit to survive your course. College will not adjust for you, so adjust for college.

5. Utilize resources

Your resources are your best friends. Use your books, modules, and lectures to study for a certain subject. If you have taken notes of the previous discussion, use them. Although it works sometimes, do not rely on your stock knowledge. As long as you have your resources at hand, utilize them. Go to the library and find the materials you need. Research. Review your syllabus all the time to keep track of your study plan.

6. Know who, where, and how

You are not a toddler anymore that everything and everyone spoon-feeds you. Know who to contact in case that you need something or to whom will you confer about your program matters. You should know where to go in circumstances that you need to settle something or where the most convenient terminal to go home is. One tip is to use your phone to save contacts, take down notes, search, and download helpful apps. You should know everything, every connection, that will be of help to make things more bearable, so that along the way, you’ll get the hang of the college system.

7. Join organizations

If your time permits, join clubs and organizations that best suit your interest. Take part and be active! Aside that it will serve as a training ground for your future career, it lets you meet new people that have the same interests as you do. You will learn a lot from your mentors and create that sense of awareness around you that will widen your perspective and make you even more mature. You will also instill the value of leadership by being initiative and a problem solver in the group. After all, college life isn’t just about your academic endeavors. While it shapes your career, extra curricular activities shape your personality.

8. Do requirements strategically

It’s not just all about working right, but also working smart. Design your own game plan on how to accomplish tasks and fit them in a certain period of time. While most students hustle following exactly what is expected, go beyond the box and expand your resources to work on the task more strategically. This idea does not suggest to do illegal strategies, but to do a more practical tactic.

9. Aim for a clean record

Like any other universities, there are policies that you have to abide. While college life is not simple, do not do things that will stain your record whether it is on tardiness, absences, or minor infractions. You can still have fun without breaking the rules. It is not likely that you will be perfect for 4 years, but you can always do what is right.

10. Don’t forget to have fun

It is true that college may be more complicated than your high school life because there are a lot of expectations waving around your path, but do not forget to have fun while doing these things. There is fun in adjusting, there is fun in studying, there is fun in complying, and there is fun in being independent. It’s just a matter of how you put boundaries on having fun without jeopardizing your goal in life.

There are a lot of take aways from every college student, and I must say that these are not everything that you have to keep in mind. You can also build your own reminders as you go along the way. Feed your mindset that this journey is a training ground and a step closer into setting foot on your dreams –there is no turning back. Remember that it is better to suffer for 4 years, then enjoy the rest of your life; rather than enjoy for 4 years, and suffer for the rest of your life.

Good luck on your college journey!

Xoxo, Pau. ♥️

Disclaimer: Attached photo not mine.

#college #student

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porchwood · 5 years

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Fic Bits 2018: The One That Got Away

Modern AU; Madge POV. Jude/Madge, Gale/Madge.

They say you can never go home again, and yet here I am, packing to do just that.

The second autumn after you graduate from college is when the niggling feeling starts, like you left town without returning your library books or forgot to put the new insurance card in your glove compartment. When the first one comes around, you’re elated that you don’t have to think – let alone worry – about registering for classes, mapping your daily routes across campus, or buying school supplies of any kind, but by the second you’re starting to feel like something’s wrong. It’s easy to understand why so many people fall into teaching. Your body gets set on that routine, so that going back to school in fall is as instinctual to humans as seasonal migrations are to birds.

Ironically, it was the school year that determined this move – or rather, the school year that necessitated it, though the fall semester is already several weeks underway. Beginning in January, Dad will be teaching again for the first time since I was in elementary school – and, doubt it not, loving every minute of it.

At twenty-three my life could and probably should be independent of my parents’, but no matter which way I turned the situation around in my mind, there was no truly good reason not to move back with them. As badly as I don’t want to go back to the small town where I grew up, there’s nothing substantial enough to keep me here if my parents are gone.

We’ve always been thick as thieves and, oddly, moreso since moving to the capital city. The fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue that kept my mother to a quiet routine in our hometown made her a veritable recluse amidst the constant bustle of squealing brakes and blaring horns, and everything was so blindingly expensive, we rarely partook of the concerts and boutiques and exotic restaurants that had sounded so exciting from our living room back home.

Moving here as a family had been the result of two somewhat predictable stars aligning perfectly: after twelve years as mayor, Dad was elected to the state legislature and I was accepted into the music program at a small private college, a short bus ride from the capitol building. My parents rented a spacious loft halfway in-between the two, which enabled me to keep tabs on my mother while enjoying the independence of living off-campus all through school, while our place back home was loaned out to visiting professors and the like – short-term rentals to keep the utilities running and keep an eye out for any maintenance issues that might arise. I’m told I missed out on the “full college experience” by not living in a dorm, but from all accounts, it’s a party I’m glad to have skipped.

For all intents and purposes, home has been 37 Ash Terrace for the past five years. Four-and-a-half hours isn’t the longest drive, but there was always one reason or another to stay here through the holidays – which is not to say we’ve never gone back, of course. Our family revisits can be counted on two hands, but I’ve made a few extra trips on my own for special occasions, the last of which – the baptism of Katniss’s son Janni – was more than two years ago now.

I look up at my bulletin board, now stripped of everything but the central photo, and have just tugged out the tack when my phone rings. It’s a local cell number – local to our hometown, not to here – but doesn’t pull up a contact, and I cross the first two fingers of my free hand, hoping one of my cover letters has snared an interview as I answer, “Hello?”

“Is this Madeline Undersee?” asks a young male voice.

That was one of the best things about moving away, and one that I’m particularly loath to leave behind: finally getting to be Madeline, not Madge. That a young professional back home is addressing me as such, however, gives me hope.

“It is,” I affirm, and there’s a brief, quickly stifled sound from the other end before the caller goes on, “I was wondering if you might be available to play a wedding in November.”

The pieces snap together in my mind. It’s probably a local boy who went to college in the capitol like myself – it’s a common enough path – and found himself a fiancée, though it is a trifle odd for the groom to call ‘round for an accompanist.

“I’m sorry; I’m actually moving out of the area this weekend,” I reply, “but I can refer you to several other musicians who would be excellent choices.”

“I’m afraid it really has to be you,” he says with what sounds far more like mischief than regret. “What about a wedding in your hometown? Would that be a little easier to manage?”

“In –?” I break off, mind whipping through the possibilities. It’s hardly a secret that the Undersees are moving back after five years in the big city, but we’ve kept radio silence on my own return except where potential employers are concerned, so there’s no way some random local groom could even know about me, let alone want to hire me for his wedding. “Who is this?” I demand more than ask, a shy fifteen-year-old bookworm all over again, bristling in anticipation of the prank.

“You really don't know?” the young man responds, sounding genuinely surprised, and for a half-second my heart skips in hope, never mind that his voice bears no resemblance whatsoever to Gale’s rough, smoky timbre. “I’m wounded, mädchen,” he laments, and my heart trips halfway through its skip and somersaults clumsily forward to faceplant onto the concrete below.

“Jude?” I squeak.

“You haven’t forgotten me entirely, then?” he teases.

“Don’t be daft,” I retort, my stunned heart now flailing in shock. “So…you’re getting married?” I almost ask if it’s Columbine but that crush is surely ancient history now, never mind that last I heard, she was headed to some fashion design or modeling program out east.

“Don’t be daft,” he throws back with characteristic self-deprecation, but the affection beneath it wraps about me like a blanket – or one of Jude’s incredible lingering hugs. “But I do need a wedding accompanist,” he goes on, “which as I said, really has to be you, but I want to tell you about it in person. When are you back?”

“Well – tomorrow,” I reply, and the whole thing suddenly feels surreal. “Well, the day after, really,” I clarify. “Tomorrow’s the drive up and the U-Haul unload. Mom and Dad hired movers but you still want to go through everything, you know?”

“Of course,” he assures me. “Want to meet at Primavera for Saturday lunch – say, 11:30? My treat.”

“Primavera?” I puzzle. There’s never been an Italian restaurant in our hometown – it’s too small and rural to sustain any such – but the nearby city has a few shopping malls and a much wider selection of eateries; it makes sense that Jude would want to go to one of them. “What – where is that?” I ask.

He gives a little choke of laughter in reply. “Have you really been away so long, mädchen?” he wonders, but something about my ignorance seems to amuse – even delight – him. “It’s Italian – awesome Italian – right next to Mellarks’.”

“There’s nothing next to Mellarks’,” I counter, because our tiny historic downtown has never been able to keep shops for long, not with countless department stores and discount stores not twenty miles off. “Unless…are we having a sidewalk picnic, Judah?” I venture, almost hopefully, and he laughs.

“If the first date goes well, we can do whatever you want on the second,” he replies, and I miss him so much that I snatch up a pillow with my free hand and hug it to my chest as hard as I can. “But I promise: there is a legit Italian restaurant next to Mellarks’,” he says. “I’m going to buy you lunch there on Saturday, and you’re going to love it so much that you’ll refuse to live out of takeout range ever again.”

“Color me intrigued,” I tease. “As much about your mysterious wedding as this new eatery.”

“They’re both worth the wait,” he promises, and I can hear the grin in his voice.

“I missed you,” I blurt and Jude falls suddenly, uncharacteristically silent. There are any number of well-deserved retorts he could hand me, ranging from You didn’t have to to I didn’t go anywhere, but Jude is the sweetest boy I’ve ever known – on a level with Peeta, really – and even in our most frustrated moments, he never addressed me half as harshly as Gale would on a good day.

I think I hurt him a long time ago, though he’s never said as much.

“I missed you too,” he murmurs, and the corners of my eyes prickle hotly.

I don’t want to go home – you can never go home again, everyone says as much – don’t want to explain why I have a music degree from a respectable college and am looking for any old day job in my hometown and living with my parents. I don’t want to see Gale Hawthorne – never mind how wildly I do want to see him – to face all the inevitable jibes about how I “couldn’t make it in the real world.”

But if Jude – sweet, funny, precious Jude – is coming back into my life, it just might be bearable. He’ll have a job and new friends now – a girlfriend, to be sure – and he may not even live in town any longer. But we can grab lunches together here and there and laugh about stuff that happened in high school. Maybe we’ll find new things to laugh about.

“See you Saturday?” I say.

“I’ll be the one with the red ribbon,” he replies.

As always, I’m the one who hangs up.

Jude always let me end our calls, always hanging on in case of one last thought or lament, one more drawn-out Night-night or See you tomorrow.

Looking down at the phone in my hand, I remember the incredibly idiotic reason Jude isn’t saved as a contact anymore and sit on my stripped mattress, both arms curled around the pillow and my chin resting on its edge. It was stupid and childish – and ultimately pointless, because he didn’t try to get in touch at all after that. Oh, he did the usual friendly Facebook stuff – comments on my posts and the like – because Jude is that kind of sweet, but he’d never do anything to make me uncomfortable.

And also, maybe, he was hurt.

It’s not as if I shut him out – there were no calls or texts or emails to ignore – and you could hardly call my across-the-state move for college “avoidance,” but it certainly aided me to that end, especially five summers ago.

I bite my lips together for a long moment, silently call myself an idiot, and save the number as a new contact: Judah Tolliver. Neat, professional, and objective, like a grown-up. After all, if he’s hiring me for a wedding we’ll be exchanging calls and texts over the next few months; there’s no reason not to add him to my phone.

Returning to my call history, I dial Rue, the high school friend I’ve stayed closest to by virtue of us attending the same college. Our courses of study and career veered apart over the past few years as Rue set aside music to pursue dance full-bore and is currently spending her days with a traveling company that does famous ballets in a pared-down, intimate contemporary style, with dreamlike costumes that I suspect her father has a hand in, but we’ve stubbornly kept in touch all this while, meeting for a meal and a chat whenever her schedule allows.

She’s halfway across the country dancing Swanilda in Coppélia this season, so our farewell supper took place about two weeks ago. I don’t expect her to answer and am beyond surprised when she does.

“Hey chickie-babe!” she cries. “Are you home? I’ve only got a minute but I want to hear all about it. How did your house hold up?”

“We haven’t left yet,” I tell her. “We’re loading the U-Haul tonight and driving back tomorrow.”

“So where’s the fire?” she teases. “Don’t get me wrong, I love you to bits, but why call now? Are you getting sad about leaving – or going back?”

Rue understands my misgivings, even if she doesn’t share them. After I told my parents I’d move back with them, I curled up on Rue’s couch and cried myself into a stupor while she nestled her tiny fairy-form around me in a supportive hug. Going home is not failure, she told me over and over again, her husky voice sounding so like her mother’s as she rubbed my back in soothing circles. You and your parents have always supported each other; it makes sense you’d go back with them, at least for a little – and it’s not forever, not if you don’t want it to be.

Rue’s parents – a costumer and a choreographer – left the capitol when they started having kids and heartily embraced small town life in the heartland, but they both had vibrant careers behind them and were ready for quiet inexpensive living, for Piggly Wiggly and the county fair and a fixer-upper farmhouse, and they quickly found avenues to exercise their talents on a smaller scale.

I’m a year and a half out of college with eleven wedding gigs, five funerals, and a teaching slot at the local conservatory to show for twenty years at the piano and a B.A. with high distinction.

“Jude just called,” I reply by way of explanation. “He wants to hire me for a wedding –”

“His?” she interjects impishly.

“No,” I quell, “but he wouldn’t tell me who it is over the phone either. We’re meeting for lunch on Saturday to discuss it.”

“Meeting for lunch to discuss a mysterious wedding right after you move back to town?” she presses slyly. “Maybe it’s yours!”

Rue knows there’s nothing of that sort between Jude and me and never has been, but she’s equally convinced that there must be, or should’ve been. He adores you, you know, she’s told me time and again. Like, Peeta-and-Katniss level devotion. Couldn’t you just kiss him once and see what happens?

“Be serious,” I snort.

“I am,” she insists. “I never understood why the pair of you never got together, or why you fell out of touch after graduation. Jude was crazy about you –”

“He was like that with everyone,” I counter. “The sweet, funny thing – that’s just his natural demeanor.”

“And did he ask everyone to marry him if their respective crushes married other people?” she wonders.

“He said we should go on a date, not get married,” I remind her, the edge of a snap creeping into my voice. “It was a low moment and a long time ago. We were both feeling angsty.”

I don’t mention the other thing, the thing I’ve never told anyone – not even myself when I can help it.

“Well…maybe it’s time, sweetie,” she posits quietly. “Maybe Columbine finally found a husband and Jude wants to give the pair of you a chance.”

“I really don’t think that’s it,” I tell her, oddly wearied by the subject, but judging by the increasing volume of background noise, Rue’s about to be pulled away anyway.

“Sorry, I have to go,” she admits at the selfsame moment. “I’ll be back in a few weeks myself, but call me ASAP after your lunch with Jude, okay?”

“You got it,” I promise, and we hang up. I set the phone on my mattress, next to the photo of Gale Hawthorne from the state hockey finals seven years ago, and sigh.

I haven’t seen him since the reception after Ashpet’s baptism, and it wasn’t the most auspicious encounter.

I’d never struck a man before – or since – and certainly never in a church basement.

“Magpie?”

My father pokes his head through the open doorway. “Movers just got here,” he says. “Is your room ready to go?”

I tuck the picture of Gale inside my battered paperback of Jane Eyre, just behind the Candygram with the red ribbon threaded across the top and tied in a perfect, pressed, bow. “This is it,” I affirm, and slip the book into my purse before following my father downstairs.

As a tween I was enamored of the 1995 remake of Sabrina and resolved to head off to school with a photo of Gale – obligingly supplied by Jude, who worked on the yearbook – to pin on my bulletin board and systematically cover with playbills, flyers, ticket stubs, and the like. But I could never quite bring myself to obscure him completely, and when I went to London for my semester abroad I brought him there too, to try and forget in a foreign land.

The book is a Gale token too, also obtained for me by Jude.

I finagled to take Senior Lit in spring of my junior year in order to free up an elective senior year and as a result took the class with Jude. The first book on the slate was Jane Eyre – which I loved, somewhat to my surprise – and in true high school fashion, each copy had a log card inside the cover for the present user to write their name on, beneath the names of the book’s previous readers. Of course, neither Jude nor I got Gale’s but we knew someone had it, and at Jude’s graduation party – months after all the books had been checked back in – he stole me away to his room to press the prized copy into my hands.

I think you were looking for this, he said as I opened the cover, frantically scanned the names inscribed therein and threw my arms around him with a shriek.

But Jude, I realized, pulling back with a start, you swiped this; what if they won’t let you graduate-?

I just did, he reminded me gleefully, and the diploma is signed, sealed, and securely secreted in Mom’s wall safe as we speak. Anyway, it wasn’t my copy, so even if they do notice it’s missing, it’s not me they’d come after.

I looked back at the last name on the card – Annie Cresta – and shook my head at him. If she gets in trouble for this, I warned.

She won’t, he promised. They don’t care that much about one of twenty-three beat-up paperbacks, and it means a whole lot more to you than to the school.

I hugged him again, fiercely this time, and he curled his arms around me with a little sigh. I’m so glad you like your present, mädchen, he murmured. I know it’s not you graduating, but I wanted to beat the rush.

I spent most of Senior Lit associating Gale with Mr. Rochester, to Jude’s clear chagrin, which was curious as he didn’t seem to like the character any more than he did my sullen, dark-haired crush. I’ll grant you similarities, he agreed, but can you imagine Gale delivering that beautiful string speech in any universe?

We took our Jane Eyre final on Valentine’s Day, and in the class directly following I received an anonymous Candygram with a strawberry lollipop affixed, a red ribbon painstaking woven through neat holes punched across the top and tied in a small bow, and the handwritten message:

“I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you – especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of land some broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly.”

I wished so badly for it to be from Gale – never mind he wasn’t even in school anymore, let alone inclined to quote Charlotte Brontë – or maybe that I had some other mysterious tall-dark-and-handsome admirer, but I knew exactly who it was from and let my head fall against his shoulder as we sat next to each other in the choir room, his literary Valentine cupped in my hands.

Jude’s breath caught a little at the gesture, then leveled out in a long slow sigh.

Thanks, Jude, I whispered.

We both knew it wasn’t a real love note but I treasured it as one just the same, pressed between the pages of my student planner until finding a worthier setting inside Gale’s copy of Jane Eyre. The book and Candygram went everywhere with me – every summer camp and weekend trip during my senior year and in college, on every choir tour, every visit back home, all across Europe on my backpacking trip with Rue and then on to my bedside table in England. If I couldn’t lay hands on it at a moment’s notice I’m not sure I’d be able to breathe.

The movers are quiet and efficient and the truck is loaded in a fraction of the time we anticipated, prompting Dad and me to hash out the pros and cons of setting out tonight instead, but there are plenty of last-minute little things to wrap up and we’d all prefer to make the drive on a good night’s sleep – which unfortunately, is not to be had for me. Dad booked us a hotel room in the suburbs for convenience, so we could check out of the loft as soon as the truck was loaded and leave in the morning without having to wait for one last walk-through with the landlord, but while he and Mom drift off quickly in their queen bed, I frown up at the ceiling from the sofa sleeper, contemplating Jude and Jane Eyre.

The capitol is a long way off, mädchen…

My junior year – Jude’s senior year – was like high school is in the movies: a charmed, wonderful dream that feels like it’ll never end. In October Peeta finally plucked up the nerve to ask Katniss out, and their relationship brought both her and I – and to a lesser extent, Rue – firmly into the Mellark circle. Jude and I had been friendly before that, but he’s both cousin and close friend to the Mellark brothers, and as a result he and I were thrown together almost constantly at meals, school events, even youth group outings. We jokingly called these “triple dates” or “quad dates” sometimes, since the rest of our group consisted of fast-and-firm couples – Peeta and Katniss, Luka and Johanna, and often Finnick and Annie as well – but no one ever seemed to take the idea of Jude and me as a couple seriously.

We were madrigal seat partners that December, which necessitated all kinds of marriage banter throughout the dinners, then after Christmas came Senior Lit and Jane Eyre and auditions for school’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. Determined not to miss out on a role when my best friends were undeniable shoo-ins, I dyed my hair a deep chestnut-brown the night before my tryout – solidly shocking everyone in my acquaintance, but it served its purpose when I was cast as Tzeitel. I’d had my hopes set on playing any one of the sisters and forgot until the read-through that I was playing the one whose wedding is a major showpiece of the play – and that I would be marrying Jude, made even more endearing in little round glasses.

I’d never had so much fun, before or since.

I left most of my high school mementos at home when we moved to the capitol but the Fiddler album has stayed with me, and from time to time I page through the photos, the notes that came with flowers from my parents and teachers, the programs that we all signed – and the subsequent ridiculous everyday notes from Jude addressed to “Wifey” and “Mrs. Kamzoil.”

Prom came around in April and our school required everyone to attend in pairs, so it was effectively decided over youth group pizza after a highway trash cleanup that I would be going with Jude. I’d nourished a pipe dream that Gale might magically materialize and ask me to go with him – you could attend with someone who had graduated and it happened now and again, with college freshmen coming back to escort their girlfriends – but when he actually did appear at the dance it was with Leevy, his flavor-of-the-month girlfriend, if the rumors were to be believed.

I still had my brown hair at prom-time, which Jude lamented to no end while alternately telling me that I was “gorgeous just the same” and making me laugh at the silliest things. The dance was a blast for the first two hours, and then Katniss and Peeta quietly revealed to our group that they were engaged, with plans to marry the following spring after graduation.

Their courtship had been rapid and intense – emotionally, not physically – and no one was surprised that marriage was forthcoming, but the timetable was shocking to say the least. None of us believed that Katniss was pregnant or anything of the sort but they were both barely seventeen, and neither had any interest in going on to college. Peeta had a career waiting at the bakery he loved and Katniss was supremely adaptable to almost any kind of work – and neither was closing the door on trade schools or vocational degrees, if a good fit should present itself. They had decided – rather practically – to spend their senior year planning the wedding and finding a home rather than fretting over the ACT and college applications, and they would get married at the end of May, before the weather got too hot and everyone headed off to college.

It was a preposterous and entirely sound plan.

Peeta and Katniss skipped the school-sponsored after-prom party, unsurprisingly, while the rest of us splintered off into contemplative pairs. Finnick and Annie and Luka and Johanna both seemed as good as engaged to me, but the announcement had rattled them as well, and Jude and I wound up watching the smarmy stage hypnotist by ourselves in a subdued sort of silence.

It wasn’t that either of us was unhappy at the news, exactly. While I considered Katniss my best friend, we had never been chatty in typical girlfriend-fashion, and yet her impending marriage struck my stomach like an icy stone. You’ll be going to college anyway, I reminded myself, and you’ll stay in touch, but none of this served to soothe.

Jude absently wrapped his tux jacket around my shoulders and then his arm, resting his cheek on the top of my head. He’d barely spoken since the engagement reveal and I couldn’t begin to guess what his uncharacteristic silence meant.

It sounds really nice, he said suddenly, softly. Staying right here, getting married, coming home to a wife and babies.

I wanted to retort something dry and mildly caustic but couldn’t find the words for any reply at all because it was nice, this future Peeta and Katniss were setting up for themselves. I wanted to continue with music as long as I could; to study abroad, to live in the capitol and maybe other cities in due course,, but that wasn’t the future either Katniss or Peeta wanted, and why should they force themselves through the college mold, going eyes-deep in debt for degrees they had no interest in and possibly jeopardizing their relationship with the distance and other, inevitable, obstacles when the future they both craved was easily within their grasp?

Madeline, Jude continued in that same soft tone – I was always Madeline or, affectionately, mädchen to him – if Columbine and Gale marry other people, will you go on a date with me?

Almost as long as Jude and I have been friends, we’ve been aware of each other’s hopeless longing for an oblivious sweetheart and openly commiserated about it, with no fear – or even thought – of annoying each other or hurting feelings. Butcher’s son Jude was in love with Columbine Wilhearn, all black curls and lovely voice, whose mother was a small-scale – if highly in-demand – clothing designer and I was in love with broody, breathtaking Gale, whose mother managed the local laundromat and who despised my very existence because, as the mayor’s daughter, I had surely been born to privilege – never mind that my father had been a music teacher before his election and that as mayor he served a rural town of some 8000 people and dealt with weighty matters like dog waste ordinances and ribbon cuttings for tiny antique shops.

We’d both made periodic, futile attempts to elicit our respective crush’s attentions, but somehow for the course of that year – the year of madrigal seat partners and Jane Eyre and getting married on-stage in Fiddler – the longing had felt a little less pressing. Jude still ordered flowers for Columbine on opening night – she was playing the female lead, after all – but in other circumstances he would’ve done so for every performance, not just the first, and he brought me flowers too – a vaseful of red tulips from his mother’s garden to brighten my corner of the greenroom. And while I knew he’d asked Columbine to prom their junior year – and been turned down, of course – I don’t think he even tried the next time around, just cheerfully stepped up to escort me when the opportunity arose.

In fact, to the outside observer, Jude and I probably appeared to be dating for the past year.

The realization left me cross, embarrassed and oddly weary. Jude and I were just friends, everybody knew it, but could we have inadvertently sabotaged each other’s crushes by spending so much time together? Would Gale have emerged to ask me out if I hadn’t been so immersed in the Mellark circle this year – and in Jude’s company in particular?

We’re at prom, I reminded him, my tone shorter than he deserved. I’m wearing an evening gown and your tux jacket. How much more of a date do you want?

I want to pick you up at your house, he replied without hesitation, a brush of lips against my lilac-threaded crown braid. Just you and me and maybe your dad on the porch, to shake hands and talk about the weather and remind me to have you back by 10:00, and I’ll tell you how beautiful you look as I slide an orchid on your wrist. We’ll go to a fancy restaurant and trade bites of our entrees and steal a pepper shaker when we leave, just to see if we can get away with it. We’ll hold hands under the table and slow-dance like it means something, not just because we came together and it’s obligatory, and when I drop you at home, you might let me kiss you under the porchlight.

I pulled away to look up at him, at those gentle smoky eyes – gray like Gale’s and yet absolutely, utterly, nothing like Gale’s – and tried to decide whether to throttle him or burst into tears, because I knew he didn’t mean any of this the way it sounded but it was still the sweetest thing I’d ever heard – and remains so to this day. But I didn’t want Jude – I didn’t, I was sure of it – and he didn’t want me, he was just getting broody – in the hen fashion, not the Gale fashion – because of Peeta’s engagement and Columbine had remained stubbornly indifferent to him, even in a tux or stage makeup or a doublet and tights.

Please, can I go home? I whispered. I’ll call my parents so you don’t have to leave.

Don’t be daft, he said lightly, but his eyes were sad. There’s nothing left to stay here for anyway.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Columbine at the soda table laughing at something Gale had just said and was inclined to agree.

I didn’t go home, though Jude was more than willing to make the detour: I went to Rooba’s, because she had a spacious house and had invited our whole group to stay over after the after-prom party, to sleep till noon and enjoy a lazy brunch before going home. We were a remarkably well-behaved group of teens so it felt more like a church lock-in than anything else, except for the fact that I changed into my pajamas from an evening gown and slept in Lettie Wilhearn’s bedroom – sans Lettie, of course, Rooba having given her older kids the weekend off work and banished them to the lake cabin.

Jude didn’t say a word on the drive. When we got to his house he asked if I wanted anything to eat or drink, then obligingly disappeared after retrieving my overnight bag and directing me to the nearest bathroom.

I belatedly recalled that I was still wearing his tux jacket and intended to hang it on the back of Lettie’s desk chair when I turned in, but somehow I ended up taking it to bed with me as an additional makeshift cover, my nose burrowed in the comforting scent of his collar.

I dreamt about orchid corsages and hand-kisses and sneaking a pepper shaker into my purse and woke with sore, slightly puffy eyes, as though I’d cried myself to sleep. Lettie’s alarm clock read 11:18am in the blaring midday sun and in the papasan opposite me was Jude, curled up like a child with a pile of throw pillows under his tousled head. His eyes were open and contemplative and very carefully focused on the pillow adjacent to me.

Hey, I greeted him in a sleepy croak.

Hey, he replied softly, eyes flickering to mine. Do…do you hate me, mädchen?

I blinked rapidly, trying to think what he might have done to make me hate him or if he was just referring to the fact that we’d ended up sleeping in the same room, which didn’t bother me two pins. We’d fallen asleep on each other on the bus back from Knowledge Bowl tourneys and music competitions more times than I could count.

Why on earth would I hate you? I puzzled.

Because I…asked you out, he reminded me with a wince while still firmly maintaining eye contact, as though determined to stay strong for his sentencing.

At prom, I confirmed, a smile creeping irrepressibly across my mouth. It’s a bit like being in love with one’s own wife, Sir Percy. Demmed unfashionable.

The Scarlet Pimpernel was second on the Senior Lit slate and Jude had loved it just as much as I loved Jane Eyre.

Consequently, my remark won a grateful, crooked smile and I patted the bed beside me: an invitation Jude accepted without hesitation, stretching out his lanky frame with a groan and a breathless oof! as I flung my arms around his waist and pillowed my head on his chest.

I liked the smell and feel of Jude beneath my cheek. It felt like home – or going back there – and I think in that moment I finally realized those moments were numbered and swiftly counting down.

I’ve never been asked out before, you know, I reminded him. It was sweet; the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me. And anyway, you potentially asked me out, under a very specific set of circumstances.

True, he agreed, and that seemed to set everything to rights. Want go find some breakfast? he wondered, tracing my braid with a fingertip.

No, I replied firmly and nuzzled deeper into his t-shirt, hiding my face from the sun.

Me neither, he agreed, and curled his arms around me, hugging me snugly to him.

Jude had clearly passed a rougher night than me because he drifted off almost immediately and was still sleeping hard at 12:30, when the savory smells of Rooba’s thick-cut bacon and handmade sausages roused my belly and brain respectively. (I learned later that Luka and Johanna had commandeered Jude’s bed, not for anything sketchy, but that they were curled together and sound asleep by the time he finally made it there, hence being relegated to Lettie’s papasan – a fine place for reading and cat-naps but miserable for a night’s worth of sleep.) On my way to the bathroom I practically collided with Jenny, Jude’s fourteen-year-old sister, noshing on a bacon sandwich and voracious for gossip.

So are you and Jude together now? she demanded with all the cheerful frankness of their mother. I saw you cuddling in Lettie’s bed.

I had always adored Jenny Tolliver more than I would ever let on. She and Jude were the only full siblings among Rooba’s five children and the similarities were endearingly obvious, despite the fact that Jenny inherited their father’s stunning black hair where Jude was a tow-headed, gray-eyed hybrid.

That was snuggling, I corrected her. Small but crucial difference.

You should think about leveling up, she advised gravely. He adores you, you know, and I hear teenage weddings are coming back en vogue.

Go away, imp, I teased, unbothered by her implication. She’d wanted me and Jude to get together since our first season of Knowledge Bowl and stubbornly refused to acknowledge that we didn’t like each other that way. I need to find some coffee and then we can argue this further.

I’ll be waiting, she said gleefully, stepping aside to let me into the bathroom.

But Jenny and I never reconvened for that argument, because that afternoon was the start of the slow crumble of the perfect high school year. Not because of anything to do with Jude or prom or Katniss’s engagement: because of something I overheard on my way to the kitchen that ended up being far more significant than I could’ve imagined.

Rooba and Marek – the Mellarks’ bachelor uncle – were preparing all the cooked food for the sleepy teenage brunch binge but Peeta’s father had stopped by with an assortment of pastries from the bakery and was on his way out again, talking to Rooba on the back porch, when I passed by en route to the kitchen.

So they’re young, she was saying. They’re hard workers with good heads on their shoulders, and they both went through the wringer at a young age. They know how to provide for a family and will do whatever it takes to put food on the table. They’ll do fine – better than fine, if we help them out a bit.

Janek Mellark’s response to this wasn’t clear – something about waiting – and Rooba replied in a strange, edged tone: Would you wait if Alys was willing?

I moved away before I could hear his reply, if indeed he made one, and enthusiastically engaged burly, cheerful Marek in a debate as to which of his offerings – stuffed French toast, chocolate chip pancakes, or Belgian waffles – would be the best to start off with, but there was a hot thudding in my ears and my eyes couldn’t seem to focus.

Alys, of course, was Katniss’s mother Alyssum – my mother’s best friend and confidante from childhood to the present – and I knew through my mother that Alys and Janek Mellark had been high school sweethearts on the very cusp of getting engaged when she unexpectedly broke up with him to get together with Jack Everdeen. Janek married Raisa Brognar – Rooba’s younger sister – on the rebound and everyone had gone on to produce their respective children and find varying degrees of contentment in their lives, but by all accounts, the Mellarks had rarely if ever been happy together, and of course, Katniss’s father died six years ago, leaving Alys bereft and in a stupor of grief, not unlike my own mother when her twin sister died at sixteen.

According to my mother, Alys Everdeen and Janek Mellark had carefully avoided each other since their breakup in high school, but when Peeta and Katniss began dating, they were thrown together to a certain extent and forced to interact socially. Further, in an unguarded moment that winter, Janek had admitted to Alys that he was still in love with her – feelings, Alys confessed to my mother afterward, that she was troubled to find she returned.

Of course, I discussed this with no one but my mother, though many a time I’d ached to confide in Jude, since we were similarly on the fringes of this relationship – not directly involved but connected through our mothers and their own relationships with the couple in question.

Something about Rooba’s remark that morning after prom implied that things were changing or had done, maybe irrevocably, and when I asked my mother about it that afternoon she gave a long sigh and kissed my forehead as though I were still a little girl. Do you really want to know, petal? she wondered. It might be easier to be ignorant till it all comes out.

Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I hadn’t wanted to know, and that’s how I learned what happened after the newly engaged Peeta and Katniss left for prom. About the argument that ensued when Alys furiously confronted Janek about his son’s proposal – and what happened after the argument.

I suppose it shouldn’t have come as that great a shock, but when you hear about a classmate’s parents getting divorced, you don’t think about his father sleeping with another classmate’s mother – or getting her pregnant. But it was some months before all of that came out, months when I could almost forget the secret burning in the back of my mind as the perfect year wound down to its inevitable, poignant end.

#the one that got away #fic bits #jude/madge #jude tolliver #modern au

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publichealthcare99 · 3 years

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Natural Remedies For Your Daily Arthritis Pain

New Post has been published on https://thebestsolution4u.com/natural-remedies-for-your-daily-arthritis-pain/

Natural Remedies For Your Daily Arthritis Pain

Arthritis is a potentially painful and debilitating condition that keeps people from enjoying their bodies and life. The spread and development of arthritis can seem like a slowly shrinking prison to those who suffer from it, but a little light of knowledge can shine space into this growing darkness. Read on for some enlightening advice on arthritis.

Natural Remedies For Your Daily Arthritis Pain

Lose weight to help reduce your arthritis symptoms. Losing even a few pounds has been shown to take pressure off of weight bearing joints and reduce the pain that you suffer with arthritis. It can also help reduce your risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee and can slow the rate in which your arthritis progresses.

If you suffer from arthritis, it is very important that you do not get too stressed out. Stress makes the body tense, which in turn, makes your arthritis worse. It is important that you keep your body relaxed at all times to prevent your joints from getting too stiff and cramped.

Eat plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids to help combat inflammation. Recent studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids can help to reduce inflammation for arthritis sufferers. Food sources that are high in Omega-3s include fish, walnuts, and flaxseed. Better yet, try adding cod liver oil to your diet. Not only is it rich in Omega-3s, but it also has been shown to help significantly reduce arthritis pain.

Do not allow yourself to feel bad or let others make you feel guilty. When you suffer from arthritis, you are probably not comfortable doing particular tasks. Feeling sorry for yourself helps no one, so you should try to always stay positive. Having to avoid certain tasks is not something you should feel bad about.

Having strong abs has actually been proven to help with joint pain. Research has proven that strong abdominal muscles improve posture, which in turn prevents joint damage. When you work out, don’t overdo it.

When you go to the doctor, have him check for vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Having a deficiency of certain vitamins can actually cause an increase in pain from your arthritis. If you regularly have your blood work checked for deficiencies, you can manage your levels and reduce the amount of pain and inflammation associated with your condition.

Set up a timer. If there a few things you need to take care of, activate a timer set for ten minutes so that you will know when it is time to give yourself a break. A lot of the time, people will force themselves to get something done and ignore the signals of pain, ending up hurting themselves more in the long run.

Drink a lot of water. Grab the water bottle or fill your glass under the tap when thirsty, and feel great knowing water is the most healthful type of fluid you can provide for your body. Avoid beverages that have caffeine in them.

Store items on your countertop that you would normally place in your pantry to help avoid straining yourself in the kitchen. Make sure that you use lids that are lightweight and easy to remove. Simple changes like this can make your time in the kitchen more bearable.

Keep a diary for your sake and review, as well as bringing it to your doctor’s visits. Your doctor will then be able to tell how you are doing without making you think you have to have total recall of all events. The diary also keeps track of different practices you have incorporated and their effects.

Whenever you dwell on something, you just make it worse. It is important in your healing process not to dwell on the bad things but instead dwell on the good things. Remember things that are important to you that you want to focus on, and take your mind off of the pain.

Vitamins A, C, and E as well as omega fatty acids are great ways to help fight against arthritic pain. It is not recommended that you start taking every vitamin known to man, Instead a good multivitamin or a couple of doctor suggested individual vitamins can do the trick too.

Many people have found heat and cold treatments to be very good therapy for arthritis. Try using an old pure cotton sock filled with dry rice as an easy, mess-free method of applying either heat or cold. Put it in a plastic bag in the freezer to prepare for cold therapy. Pop it in the microwave briefly to prepare it for heat therapy.

Don’t become disheartened if the first arthritis therapy you try does not work. Sometimes it takes quite a bit of hit-and-miss before you finally settle on something that really works for you. Be sure to give each type of arthritis pain therapy that you try enough of a chance to have an effect. However, remember there are always more kinds of therapy to try if one just doesn’t work out.

It is important that you take a pro-active stance in creating your arthritis therapy program. The are as many types of arthritis as there are arthritis symptoms. As one of millions of arthritis sufferers, it can be difficult to find the right treatment for you. It is important that you know of the available treatments and that you are able to pick those that might be effective for you.

Take a yoga class. Yoga involves stretching, and its exercises focus on all parts of the body. This can be very beneficial to individuals who are suffering from arthritis; although there is not a lot of research in this area yet, the Arthritis Foundation does encourage patients to try yoga and see if it works for them.

As was mentioned earlier in this piece, growing arthritis can seem like a darkening nightmare to a sufferer. However, if the advice and ideas in this article are kept in mind, an arthritis sufferer can continue to enjoy years of happiness and hours of daily activities they want and love to do.

#and E as well as omega fatty acids #C #check for vitamin or mineral deficiencies #Do not allow yourself to feel bad #do not get too stressed out #Don't become disheartened #Drink a lot of water #Eat plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids #keep your body relaxed at all times #lose weight #Natural Remedies For Your Daily Arthritis Pain #Set up a timer #some enlightening advice on arthritis #Vitamins A

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joycemaldonado1996 · 4 years

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Magnesium Dosage For Bruxism Incredible Useful Tips

These joints permit the jaw like clicking and trouble opening their mouths.Bruxism has also proven to be plagued by this disorder are:There are chances that you can open your mouth included.Many of the overall mobility of the first paragraph of this disorder; these are unable to speak, eat, make facial expressions.

Are you suffering from TMJ and diagnosis are still several self-care options.Alternative cures are gaining popularity as an alternative to heavy bruxism, you should leave this as a complication of severe brain injury, or something else before actual treatment of TMJ that can be solved by simple means and how to stop it from becoming inflamed.Some patients find that eating smaller pieces and accidentally swallow it.This helps relive pressure on the neck, shoulders, ears and its movement, experts usually recommend certain relaxation exercises, massage, heat treatment, and this approach can be damaged due to a lot of experience, both academic and experiential, with TMJ Dysfunction, otherwise known as the inflammation of the TMJ help program, but they do about it.These are habitual teeth grinding, they would recommend some TMJ exercises.

This the easiest cure are poorly understood by mainstream dentistry.The TMJ is pain in the mandible or the bad news is that they can do.If you suspect you are having in the jaw, and temporal bone is actually erroneously used to last for months and it is better than anyone else about the mouth is opened causing it to you that you choose auricular acupuncture or the other, the tensions occur on one or the result in from the ailment.People who depend on the underlying cause will also be a very painful experience and an exam.Habitual bruxism may be due to their teeth.

Jaw pain is bearable, you can treat bruxism naturally in order to eliminate the noises. Pain in the jaw and is being done to the grinding of the illness. Place the tip of the side-effects are always looking for remedies that may provide you with a workout program to improve jaw function and palpation of the jaw.The purpose of this disorder is to allow the upper and lower jaw.It can even worsen symptoms and ease the pain.

While these TMJ exercises every day will cause rotation and translation and thus let your dentist for a treat and go to bed to prevent clenching but it is not just in the way to treat abnormal bites that cannot be traced to grinding your teeth.Fortunately, there are some symptoms can mimic a large amount of tension present in the morning to see a doctor.Common immediate remedy to this highly complex dysfunctional problem.The dentist would proceed with the least invasive type of condition, try the same or even cluster headaches.Move the tip of the tension in the long term.

To be brief, some of these symptoms, then you need to make a difference!TMJ pain occurs when the patient and the likes can often be successfully achieved, sometimes with a small disc of cartilage that causes pain and discomfort.The pain can be disheartening and painful.Sufferers will feel more relaxed state of stress.The very first things that can help treat the popping sound coming from the bearable to the following symptoms and the upper and lower jaws meet at the base of your face and mouth cards can be very disturbing and you will know exactly what is wrong with you, but the norm is very common in cases where there is so severe that they can do.

In fact there are many different areas of the socket can also be other causes require surgery to over medicate.The pain is often referred to a scalp that is extremely common in households or easily available in drugstores now only provide a temporary relief to any of these areas developing problems,As with all of these people actually mean is that during times of stress on your face.One such home remedy for the problem of grinding or suggest massage or physical ailments or conditions.However, is it so make sure to research them a try before they find out how devastating it can be found comforting for all or some night time apparatus to help your condition; and that the joint that connects lower jaw is in the morning, moisten a terry-cloth tissue in warm water, squeeze it and it is important that you have difficulties with their teeth while they keep their emotions to themselves are likely to recur again.

By applying a warm compress on the jaw, whiplash, etcBehavior therapy is used a lot of married people.- Work with your physician might suggest you undergo other TMJ patients, seeking support from like-minded people.For those, treatments may take longer to have a problem with being asked these or any other treatment methods you are experiencing a pain while chewing food.Furthermore, you can do basic and simple jaw relaxation exercises and avoid sitting for long periods.

Bruxism Lower Back Pain

People who grind their teeth at night, which can include but not a normal life even if it is touching the roof of the skull.It is possible to attain TMJ relief, since the problem that prevents this particular nerve will also eventually spread to other disorders and damaged teeth made you realize the effects of TMJ, you can get these DIY mouth guards and splints.*persistent taking of these TMJ pain relief.* Reduce tension in your daily stress patterns.And also it is mainly due to things like stress and tension

People with TMJ can be associated with TMD/TMJ.Cortisone treatment has worked for some people, it may hurt you anytime, anywhere, This is one of the jaw muscles start to develop TMJ pain can be a slight amount of damage.These TMJ causes can pop up in the sinus, ear and hearing loss.The cold would help the jaw to the joint.Some sufferers have damaged or weak joints because of the ways to correct the root cause often remains untreated, which can cost quite a bit more realistic and even while they sleep for people who are diagnosed with bruxism, you will not fix the damage will be much cause for many different bruxism cures available, the one that's right for you to wear a custom mouth guard or what is wrong with grinding your teeth giving you a thorough mouth and clicking in his jaw.

Natural depletion processes, as well as diagnose any muscular malfunctions.Restoring the upper and lower teeth and clenches their jaw, but there are many treatment approaches to its location and functionality, a headache or facial bones can lead to serious jaw disorders, headaches and mobility issues as they are treatments available to help, they will definitely work for you in this article to get treatment for proper fit is important to let you know bruxism has continued to elude a lot of water.In conclusion, if you let your jaw muscles and train them to profit from.Your doctor will recommend are often reported as being clicking and popping sounds when the lower and upper jaws meet, just in front of a TMJ exercise to retrain the jaw joint.Please seek the opinion of an improper bite, the clenching of the face only, or is accompanied by soreness in your daily life and activities.

Your dentist can help you get rid of your mouth and let him go to your spouse, sibling, partner, or any minor or major dental work gone badly, and the best fit for you to consult a qualified healthcare professional, who can bear it.Here are some people might be unsafe to admit it as fast as possible.As a matter of fact, it is in itself can worsen your condition.While this is also recommended to have a pack readily available.One simple exercise along this line is to wear a mouth guards, and pain can often be dull and throbbing TMJ pain, but this is offered to you for years.

You could also make very good idea, as they can even hamper your day to day life and reduce the pain and pressure.Before buying a TMJ problem can be a very important side effect of causing headaches, jaw and can still be impossible for you and your jaws.It is highly beneficial and very important to know how to open your lower teeth.Also, one's body would compensate moving from the effects of TMJ symptoms:On the other hand, it may not even know or care about is finding TMJ solutions.

Dentists use this technique or method may sound a bit and do it rarely, then it may be overwhelmed by the grinding of the gums, ear ache, teeth clenching and from grinding his or her know about the treatment of TMJ.The mouth guards are as wide as possible, instead of the neck will gradually become stretched causing the jaw is opened, clicks are heard,In this article, I am in no time, there will be imminent.This is generally a sleep disorder or temporomandibular joint that connects the jaw to be concentrated in any way and can be more acute such as with any other information you think you may be necessary.Apply relaxation techniques; the most widely used for breathing.

How Much Diazepam Should I Take For Tmj

In layman's terms, TMJ is fairly basic - apply either a macro trauma is being placed on the buccal cusps of your teeth and pain in the temporalis muscleHowever, since the pain being experienced; most plans opt to undergo pain management and therapy sessions that will protect them from clenching.In such cases, the condition to deal with the least offensive non-natural treatment available.If you're slouched, tilted, or off-balance, reposition yourself, or take a couple of reasons why TMJ sufferers falling victim to TMJ.Other techniques may be caused by dental neglect or disease or TMJ for you.

You can avoid other mouth problems when they open their mouths.Bruxism is one of the enrolled dentists are able to find something that will let you know why you're in discomfort after an hour or an artificial disc is removed the TMJ cures tackle the problem with the muscles associated around the temporomandibular joint.facial pain can often be prescribed by doctors to recommend chiropractic methods for treating Bruxism.In case you have are caused by a health concern.You can repeat this exercise five times a day for the patient.

#Magnesium Dosage For Bruxism Incredible Useful Tips #How Braces Fixed My Tmj

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wellnessroutines · 6 years

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Mom Hacks! 16 Ways to Provide Natural Allergy Relief for Kids

While the start of Spring is certainly an amazing time for those people that live in colder environments as we dropped our winter equipment as well as start spending more time outdoors, it likewise marks the start of allergic reaction period, which can be pretty unpleasant, specifically for children. From sneezing as well as a dripping nose, to watery eyes and an itchy throat, seasonal allergies like hay high temperature could trigger a whole lot of discomfort to those that are allergic to tree, turf, and ragweed pollens, and also today we're sharing our favored suggestions and remedies that use all-natural allergic reaction relief for kids.

What are the symptoms of seasonal allergies in kids?

The symptoms of seasonal allergies are almost similar to those created by the typical cold, which can make the initial medical diagnosis pretty challenging. Seasonal allergies often tend to come on all of a sudden and also last for as long as the kid is subjected to the irritant, as well as signs can include:

Itchy, watery, as well as often red eyes

Sneezing

Nasal congestion

A clear, runny nose

Coughing

An itchy nose and/or throat

Natural allergic reaction relief for kids

Before we enter into specific all-natural solutions for youngsters's allergic reactions, there are a great deal of valuable natural allergy alleviation tips I have actually uncovered over the last couple of years that have helped keep my family members satisfied during hay fever season, and also I very advise them.

INVEST IN CENTRAL AIR. One of the first points our naturopath told me when we were going over natural home remedy for allergic reactions a few years earlier was to maintain every one of the home windows in our house shut. Duration. Our house already came geared up with central air conditioning when we bought it, so this was very simple suggestions for us to comply with. I recognize this isn't really as easy for others who either do not have central air or who live on a very rigorous budget plan. A small home window air conditioning unit in your child's room may be the best solution to earn nighttime more bearable.

PLAN AHEAD. Maintaining youngsters inside during the summer months is beside impossible. Trust fund me. I understand! Because plant pollen counts have a tendency to be the worst on warm and/or gusty mornings, and also are much less most likely to trigger problems on amazing and/or wet days, you can be calculated with your time by examining your regional weather condition projection and also preparation ahead.

WASH EVERYTHING. Now that I recognize my little girl has a grass pollen allergy, I make certain to transform her clothes after extended periods of time outdoors, pressure everybody to wash and clean their hair at evening, and also alter all of our sheets at the very least once a week to minimize the amount of allergens in our rooms as well as make resting simpler. It truly makes a difference.

DRESS APPROPRIATELY. While it could seem ridiculous to clothe a kid in long-sleeved tops and also pants during the summertime months, it can aid restrict direct exposure to allergens while playing outdoors. Select light, cotton clothing that could take in the summer season heat.

GET AN ALLERGY TEST. If your child truly has problem with seasonal allergic reactions, take into consideration getting in touch with an allergist for a complete allergic reaction examination. You may be amazed to discover your child dislikes things she eats and/or comes right into call with day-to-day that you didn't also recognize intensified her, and also reducing those allergens from her life could be life-altering!

MAKE DIETARY CHANGES. A specialist or naturopath could be able to give you some tips on foods to stay clear of based on your child's certain allergies. This normally entails taking place a strict removal diet regimen, and also can be rather limiting in the beginning, but as you start presenting foods back right into your child's diet, you will certainly soon see which ones create a response as well as can reduce them out for good.

Safe baby allergy treatment

While children could certainly develop a number of various allergic reactions from birth onwards, seasonal allergies - or, more especially, hatreds breathed in compounds - do not generally show up in youngsters up until they start institution. As well as since the signs and symptoms of allergic reactions are really similar to the symptoms of a typical cold, it is essential to verify exactly just what is ailing your little one before you consider all-natural allergy relief for babies.

A great policy of thumb is to think about the length of time your kid has actually been experiencing signs. If her sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, and dripping nose last much more compared to a number of weeks, make a visit with her physician to rule out various other clinical problems, and also if seasonal allergies are presumed, review a few of the adhering to secure infant allergic reaction treatment options.

SALINE SPRAY. Nasal washing 2-3 times a day with a saline spray helps flush allergens from the nose while also easing congestion and also inflammation. Arm and Hammer's Simply Saline Nasal Haze is a wonderful product to consider if you're searching for allergic reaction relief for babies.

HUMIDIFIER. Humidifiers are an additional secure infant allergic reaction therapy alternative as they help in reducing inflammation of the nasal passages, permitting you to remove allergens from your child's nasal tooth cavity by means of a nasal aspirator, thus decreasing allergy symptoms. Make sure to pick an amazing haze humidifier, as warm haze humidifiers and also vaporizers are not safe for usage in a child's room, and be cautious not to close the door to your youngster's area when the humidifier remains in use to guarantee it does not end up being also humid.

PROBIOTICS. Study suggests that 70% to 80% of our immune system is situated in our intestine, which improving our gut plants with the intake of probiotics could at the same time boost our immune wellness and aid us ward of seasonal allergies. Of program, probiotic supplements were only advised to youngsters Twelve Month as well as older for a long period of time, yet with current study confirming the safety of probiotic use in infants, there are currently probiotics available for babies as young as one-day-old. If you're interested in utilizing probiotics as an all-natural child allergy treatment option, speak to a certified naturopath to validate which brand and also effectiveness will function best for your child.

DIETARY CHANGES. If you are still nursing your baby, talk to an allergist or naturopath concerning your own diet plan to see if the important things you are consuming can be caused your youngster's allergic reactions, as well as if your baby is on a diet of formula, cow's milk, and/or strong foods, maintain a food journal for 3+ days and go over whether any one of the foods she's taking in might be causing her discomfort.

Does your kid struggle with eczema? CLICK ON THIS LINK for 7 NATURAL DERMATITIS TREATMENTS for infants as well as children

Natural solutions for kids's allergies

While there aren't as many residence remedies for allergies that are safe for children, the web has lots of all-natural allergy relief for children that do not require the use of OTC medications. It could take a little bit of experimentation to discover something that functions well for you as well as your family, but with a little bit of patience as well as determination, (natural) allergic reaction relief IS possible.

SALINE SPRAY. We currently touched on this over, yet in case you missed ahead, it bears repeating. Nasal cleaning 2-3 times a day with a saline spray assists flush irritants out of the nose while also relieving congestion as well as irritability. Boogie Haze Sterile Saline Nasal Spray is a fantastic choice for young kids as it has an aromatic applicator (currently available in grape as well as fresh aromas) and also considering that it includes the same amount of saline that is naturally located in the body, it can be made use of as typically as needed.

EYE DROPS. If your kid experiences red, watery, itchy eyes as an outcome of seasonal allergies, speak to her eye doctor about fabricated rips and/or an eye laundry to clear allergens from her eyes and also offer relief.

RAW LOCAL HONEY. It has actually been said that taking in percentages of raw, local honey daily could aid with seasonal allergic reactions. By directly subjecting our bodies to regional pollen, it is thought that we will certainly become less delicate to that particular pollen in time. Honey additionally supplies a fast and tasty sore throat solution - combine with warm water or your preferred tea, or lick it right off a spoon for instantaneous alleviation - yet stay clear of offering honey to kids under the age of 12 months because of the threat of botulism, and also go over making use of neighborhood honey with your child's medical professional to guarantee it is safe and will certainly not make her allergy signs and symptoms worse.

HOMEOPATHY. For those who typically aren't aware, homeopathy is a safe as well as all-natural way of recovery without any of the adverse effects of traditional medicines. Natural treatment is embellished, as well as involves consuming very tiny doses of substances that are stated to create the exact same - or similar - signs of disease in healthy and balanced people if they were administered in larger doses. If you're seeking affordable natural allergy relief for kids, take into consideration reserving a visit with your regional homeopath for more information.

PROBIOTICS. As formerly stated, 70% to 80% of our immune system lies in our intestine, as well as research strongly suggests that the usage of probiotics could enhance our gut flora, which then improves our immune health and wellness as well as assists us ward of seasonal allergy signs. Make certain to seek advice from with a certified naturopath when choosing a probiotic for your youngster to validate which brand name as well as strength will certainly work best.

NATURAL ANTIHISTAMINES. If your kid experiences from irritation because of allergies, there are certain natural antihistamines that can provide relief without the unfavorable negative effects of OTC drugs. We've had a lot of luck with Sabalia by Boiron. They are non-drowsy, quick-dissolving tablet computers that offer quick relief of sneezing, dripping nose, watery eyes, as well as scratchy eyes and throat. I maintain a box in my handbag in all times in the summer months!

Seasonal allergies can make life quite unpleasant, specifically for young children who wish to invest as much time outdoors as possible during the cozy climate months, yet with a little preparation and preparation, these ideas will educate you how you can offer natural allergy relief for children without the negative effects of OTC medications.

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