What Makes a Happy Home

A couple of weeks back, I suffered a horrible asthma attack which brought back unpleasant memories of my childhood...

I have always been an asthma patient. I got my first attack when I was seven. I did not even know how to pronounce that word properly when my breath shortened and lungs contracted. I still feel shivers down my spine when I think of how I'd have to stay up on nights and use the Rotahaler to get some relief. But all of that medicine was doing me more harm than good. The capsules and all kinds of inhalers were mostly designed to dilate my bronchioles (the branches of the larger windpipe that carry air into our lungs). And I hated the fact that I was dependent on artificial substances!

I realized how worried my parents would have been when I was unwell. They did all the running around, took me to doctors, got me nebulized (a process which helps the phlegm get out of your lungs through your mouth and nose) and sacrificed their free time for me. Even my little sister would be sad to see me struggle with something as basic and involuntary as breathing. I was making my home unhappy!

And then, we witnessed magic! Over time, my immunity grew and my respiratory system became stronger. I also noticed that my mum had been feeding me a spoon full of Dabur Chyawanprash every morning before breakfast. Were the herbs making me stronger? Or was it just that I was growing and nature was making me fine? I'll never find out! But one thing I have found out is that my improving health was what changed the mood of my family!

I suddenly saw their smiles reaching their eyes... my sister giggling a lot more... my parents leaving us with relatives over the weekends and taking some time off for themselves. And the best thing was that I could breathe freely! The frequency of asthma attacks had dropped to once a year. That was phenomenal! In a few more years, I started running and jogging. I was so happy to be able to hop, skip and jump like everyone else! This personal account taught me that a home celebrates only when the children are fit and fine! A child in ill-health makes the whole house sulk. Healthy children (and not paints/curtains/furniture or whatever those TV commercials will have you believe) make a happy home!

Now that you know the secret to bringing happiness into your homes, you must concentrate most of your energies on your health and the well being of your family. My father always reminds us of the adage, "Health is wealth". If you are not in the pink of  your health, you won't have a flourishing career for too long. Money is easy to recover, life isn't. So, listen to your body and give it that 20-minute exercise, let it rest for 8 hours every night, and feed it nutritious food and not hydrogenated junk. If this plan doesn't get you a promotion in a few months, feel free to vent your anger by commenting on this post. I know you won't, because good health will make you realize that everything else hangs low on the totem pole of life.

Cheers to good health!