Healing through the senses

I talked with my mom this morning. She is still in hospital, and getting very good care. However, she says that, as is thecase in most hospitals, thefood is unfortunate. Or maybe that she is unfortunate to be seeing it on her plate. That, even if she were feeling better, she wouldhave no appetite.

If I ran a hospital, I would have a good cook. Iwould not give coffee to people who don't drink it, I would not call aflour-based soup "cream of" anything, and there would be fresh food onthe plates. If this can be done at spas - which it can - and at the rustic camp that is my beloved Ashokan - which it is, everymeal, for about 200 people with all kinds of dietary issues andphilosophies - then it can be done in a hospital. My mom has taste buds both physical and spiritual, and she knows what real food is, and that real food has its own healingproperties. Jesus knew it, too, or he would neither have turned water intosuch good wine, nor feasted with his friends, nor cooked breakfast on the beach for his bereftdisciples.

In my hospital, I would also have a dozen good voice-actors cominground to read to the patients. Mommy misses reading, and wants me toread her a mystery when I get there. How can you heal without stories, if you're a reader, and when all you have is TV yammering bad news or other similar crap relentlessly?

That'swhat I would do. There's undoubtedly more, but that's what I am fixated on at the moment. Your thoughts?