The Car Game

When I was in the fourth grade, one day, we had a guest speaker come to our room to play a little game. I'm not sure what it was called but I will call it "The Car Game". The man asked us to imagine that we were given only one car that we had to use for our entire life. He told us to imagine the car in our head. He then called on us, one at a time, asking us how would we treat this car to make sure it would last? The students in the class said things like: keeping it parked in a garage to keep it safe, using the better quality expensive gas, not allowing food or drink inside, keeping it clean and regular tune-ups and check-ups. Then the man asked us if this is what we would do with a car how should be treat our bodies, which we will have for the rest of our life? We were all blown away and came to realize the importance on how well we should treat this "one body" we will have for the rest of our life.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I've been that person who waits until the filter is super filthy in my car before I get it changed. I wait an extra long time before I get my oil changed and I let the dirt pile up before I finally take my poor car to The Car Spa for a good cleaning. I used to treat my body very similarly.

I've changed a lot of my previous bad habits and lifestyle, alhamdulilah. My main abuse to my body these days has been stress. I imagine it as this car. It's in park just sitting there with the engine running constantly. How much stress would be on a car if we never turned the engine off? And even more than that I feel as though the stress gets so high it's as if I slap my foot on the accelerater revving the engine. I've now hurt myself, become toxic to myself as well as those around me.

Yousuf's cough got a bit much that he ended up throwing up everything he did actually eat or drink today, the last thing being some milk to drink. I had been trying to convince him that fresh juices are much healthier for him, more than milk. After changing all the bed sheets and his clothes Yousuf told me, "Okay mama juice is better for me." We went downstairs and asked for all apples this time. I cut up and juiced about five apples and added some crushed blue green algae, poured him a glass and served him. He said thank you and said he will drink it in the morning. Okay, why did I just go through all of that now? His low grade fever is gone and seems to be sleeping good. I think I will go turn off my engine, go to sleep and instead of a car alarm just put my trust in Allah.