Written by Jasmine
Covid19 arrived one and a half years ago with a rapid advancement of waves…and growing challenges with each one. It has affected the whole world from mild to tragic and brought a new way of life we never could have anticipated. Now we know!
We have been divided by changing information doled out to us in clumps. A lot of it is very real and plenty has been contaminated or flat out lies. We’ve been left to wade through it all in order to decide what is right for us and our families. There has been division between couples, friends and families over individual conclusions and how to proceed with a plan to protect them; or continue life as “normal”.
I have been thinking more about the weight of responsibility that parents have had to bear through it all. I can’t even imagine how I would have coped with home schooling back in my parenting days! Or worry about the effects being away from the structure of school and the social interactions it brings, for so long. Not to mention the stress and financials of covering their care where they would have been in school. Just watching my kids with their own challenges with my grandchildren has been a learning experience for me. I am proud of how well they have coped.
I can identify with the concern of getting kids vaccinated. As a young mother I became educated about natural medicine. At 6 years old I took my son to the doctor to be told he needed a 3rd bottle of Amoxicillin for his ear infection and the possibility of tubes required. Deep inside I knew this was unacceptable and left to find a new way for him. I took him to a Naturopath, and he showed me the path away from anti-biotics. I learned much from him, the staff at the local health food store and on my own in books. Yes, long before the world wide web became a thing!
I studied up on vaccinations that were required at the time. There was concern about them then, but not as loud as it has become today. When I discovered that some of the ingredients had been banned parts of Europe…I got serious about my choices for my kids. There were other factors in my decision, but I decided to exempt some, for them. It was not a popular one, but it felt right to me. By the time they got to Jr High, my understanding on it had changed and they were caught up to requirements. I also knew how to build up their immune systems to give their bodies the best edge to deal with them.
Fear is a strong emotion when it comes to our kids. We want to do the very best that we know how. I do not regret getting certain vaccinations exempt for mine. I was actively searching for my answer and did the best I could with as much as I knew. Time and more education changed my past beliefs. I think the answer is in continuing to gather true valid scientific information from authenticated sources. Covid19 has stunned the scientific community and continues to evolve with their current results.
Worldwide vaccinations have proven effective in the past. Smallpox, Diphtheria and yellow fever have been eliminated. Mumps and Rubella have been by 98-99%, just to name a few. As I understand, Covid19 will never go away as much as could become more like colds and flu…with worldwide use of vaccination against it.
For the current situation…I had to come to my own terms in deciding if the vaccination was right for me to get. Knowing I have never felt the need to get flu shots…it took me months to conclude the vaccination was the right thing to do. For myself as well as respect to whom ever I could possibly infect…even unknowingly! It appears to be hit and miss as far as who gets it and how they are affected without any other health issues. However, when it hits it can be incapacitating or deadly.
For me, I stopped listening to extremists in the news and people close to me where I already knew where they stood. Then I started listening to and reading up on the current information that the countries top doctors were speaking about. I melted that into what I already had learned in the past year. After much internal debate, I made my appointment. I walked away knowing in my heart and gut that it was the right thing to do.
Especially watching the current news of the kids that are ending up in the hospital…I would, definitely, make sure mine were protected as well!
Author: jasmine@majickalgarden.com
