Member-only story
In Sickness and In…
Daily Meditation 701–1/28/2024
Being sick really sucks (how’s that for a philosophical opener). Especially the illness that creeps in — the kind where you’ve got just a tickle in your throat today or the subtle nausea…where you go to bed and just know you’re going to wake up full-blown sick sick.
Our modern society really has a sick obsession (get it?) with illness, as well. We treat wellness and long life as if it were a sure thing — like being in the modern era of all-history-being-on-a-tablet-in-my-pocket equates to a guarantee we outlive our parents or grandparents. As if we can snap our fingers and some new shot, pill, or inhalant will render us “good as new” free of unwanted side-effects.
But — and this is gonna sound ridiculous — illness is a good thing.
If you’ve been a reader for a while, you’ll know ol’ Lucas is a big fan of reframing. And today we’re going to reframe our sour relationship with being sick:
Illness isn’t really nature trying to kill us. Illness is the gym, treadmill, and squat rack for our immune system.
Your fever, rashes, aching skeleton, vomiting et al is your immune system “working out” and becoming a stronger, badder-ass version of…