It had been nearly 18 months since Ada had stopped using her wheelchair. She had assumed that it was a normal part of the aging process to eventually depend upon mobility through a cane, walker or wheelchair. But she had learned in the last 3 years of her time at the Nourishing home that many of the “normal” unpleasantries she had experienced with aging were actually quite avoidable—and even reversible.
Prior to her admittance, she’d had a lengthy list of medical issues: dementia, prediabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, to name a few. About a decade ago, she’d had a cancerous breast lump removed—along with the requisite torture of chemotherapy and radiation—and she had always been afraid of the cancer recurring. But not now.
In the kitchen, she vigorously attacked the red cabbage. Flo was beside her, dicing bell pepper. Others were slicing cucumber, carrot, tomato, avocado, and onions. Quinoa and black beans simmered on the stove. They were going to have a fabulous, anti-oxidant loaded salad for dinner.
“I’ll see where the cilantro’s at.” Ada said, as she ducked out of the kitchen and headed to the courtyard. There, she found Brita and Eugene working together at the herb bed. Eugene—a Level 1—was curled over in his wheelchair with arthritis. Poor dear. He was having a hard time getting his hands to work with the scissors in the cilantro patch. Brita was cooing encouragements as she pulled weeds in the oregano.
“Hello darlings!” Ada called. How’s that cilantro coming? Eugene, you’ve nearly got enough. How about three more snips? I’ll help Brita with the weeding for a bit. Take your time.” She patted Eugene on the shoulder and he gave a weak smile.
“I’m getting it, slow but sure.” He croaked.
“You’re doing great!” Ada said. “It will get so much easier with time, trust me!” She looked down at her own strong hands—once gnarled and pained so much that it hurt to move them the slightest bit. Those were dark days!
With cilantro in hand, Ada headed back towards the kitchen. Her mind flashed back to her first year, and to her poor, sick brain. Back then, Ada could barely remember one day to the next, but over time, the fog had lifted. She even remembered Joanna, her darling girl who had suffered greatly and passed away from leukemia at the tender age of nine.
At the time, they had felt helpless, told by the doctors that there was nothing the family could do other than all the standard, incredibly toxic treatments. Ada was passionately angry about this now. No doctor or specialist had ever suggested trying to reverse Joanna’s condition through a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet. And she was livid with her own government and schooling for supplying her with bad information about proper nutrition, which could have prevented the disease in the first place.
After dinner, Ada sat in the meditation room, where she had spent many hours trying to find peace with all the troubles of her past. She tried to believe that the doctors really were doing the best they could with the information they had at the time Joanna was suffering. But even now, 50-some years later, the doctors really hadn’t learned much. Her own doctor had her on so many pills, she needed four of those 7-day pill organizers to keep them sorted. Now she was down to…well…none. At seventy-three, that was pretty rare in the outside world.
Ada’s reverie was broken by a tap at the door. “Ada?” George whispered. “Do you still want to get in a bike ride before dark?”
“Absolutely, dearest. Five more minutes?”
“You got it.”
Ada smiled at her friend, and this action helped dissolve her uneasy state. She and George had come to to the home at different times, but they were destined for the same graduation date in just about six months. She closed her eyes again and focused on her breathing.
Out on the trail with George, Ada said, “I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to do after our graduation, and I’ve got a seed of an idea now. I would appreciate your feedback, and not only that, but I’d love it to be something we go in on together.”
George grinned. “Let me hear it. I’m intrigued!”
“I’ve been thinking about the tragedy of folks suffering and dying every day from totally preventable diseases. Of course, I think most about my little girl. If I’d only had good information, I might have prevented her getting sick! So, my idea is to start a WFPB nutrition program for families, back in Dayton...or somewhere else that we both want to be. We wouldn’t get rich—in fact, it would probably be a non-profit. I would really value your expertise in that area.
George had volunteered for the grant-writing team, since he’d had so much experience in his former career. They’d been able to purchase additional land for the home—the large adjacent lot that had been a wasteland, which they had turned into a beautiful natural area for the bike trail and a Frisbee golf course.
George and Ada paused conversation to pedal up a steep hill. They headed to their favorite bench in the park where they could overlook the lake for the sunset.
“Ada.” George said, “I would be honored to work with you on such a noble cause.”
Ada smiled and patted her friend’s hand. They both sat quiet while drinking in the scents of cottonwood and pine and enjoying the concert of birds and crickets.
References:
- Campbell, T. Colin, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II, M.D. (2016). The China Study (Revised and Expanded Edition): The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health. Dallas, TX: BenBella Books, Inc.
- Greger, Michael, M.D., with Gene Stone. (2015). How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease. New York, NY: Flatiron Books.
Image source: Pixabay, no attribution required