FLOWER POWER!

My birthday falls in March, and when my husband and children asked me what I wanted, I replied “My usual gift!” - in other words, flowers for the window boxes and flowerpots outside our house.

It gives me great pleasure and joy to see the window boxes full of flowers with different arrays of colours.  And seeing the daffodils in bloom after the long winter has a positive and uplifting effect on all of us.  Whether we realise it or not, colour can and does affect our mood.  In a similar way, the extra light we are now experiencing in the mornings and evenings has an influence on us.  When we have more light and colour in our lives, we breathe them in and feel it in our cells.  Our cells are sensitive to how we see, smell and feel.  But it is up to us to interpret these senses – do we like what we see or smell?  Do we choose how we feel in the moment of the now?  And if we don’t like something, then make the decision to change it to something more pleasing.  That’s why having flowers in my life always cheers me up – in every sense they really do brighten up my world!

When I was growing up on a farm in Co Galway, my mother took great pride in her flowers.  Our deep window sills were full of geraniums and the smell wafted through the house.  In the garden, the scent of wallflowers filled the air.  To this day, the smell of either of these flowers transports me right back to happy memories of my childhood.   

I took a bunch of flowers into hospital recently when visiting my sister there, but I wasn’t allowed to bring them into the ward.  I couldn’t believe it!  It seems flowers are now seen a source of infection.  What a pity.  At the very least, every hospital ward should have an area dedicated to plants and flowers.  As well as absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, I believe that plants and flowers also absorb negativity and release a beautiful energy that helps people to feel happier and more balanced.  You only have to see the reaction of someone receiving an unexpected bunch of flowers to understand this!

When I go to see my elderly mother in the nursing home, I always take her flowers.  She is ninety, has Alzheimer’s, and is unable to talk.  But the smile it puts on her face when I put the flowers in a vase for her says it all, and I know they have cheered her up.  Knowing that it brightens her day each time she looks at her flowers makes me realise how powerful the magical energy of flowers really is.

ADHD - ATTENTION DUE TO HIGHER DIMENSION!

I recently gave a talk to parents whose children have been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder).  I see many such children in my clinics.  Parents of ADHD kids may find that their children need very little sleep, are extremely active, have poor concentration and get distracted easily.  They may also have difficulty with absolute authority and do not like being controlled.  If their high energy levels are suppressed with medication like Ritalin, or if they feel like they do not belong, then they may suffer from low self-esteem, a lack of self-belief and no confidence in themselves.

I told the parents that based on my awareness of treating kids with ADHD over the years, I believe that it might also stand for “Attention Due to Higher Dimension.”  Sometimes it seems as if these children have come into this world with a higher – or different – vibration.  They know who they are, why they are here, and what they want to change.  Only they don’t always fit into the parents’ way of doing things, or into the school system (which they may want to change!).  They may have preferred ways of being taught and may resist rote learning, thus wreaking havoc in some cases, all because they simply do not fit in.

Dr David Weeks of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland conducted over a thousand interviews with children diagnosed with ADHD.  He found they shared three primary characteristics: (1) a strong will, (2) a good sense of humour and (3) a creative imagination.  I would also add from my experiences that they are often very sensitive: sensitive to certain types of food (ie allergies) and sensitive to other people’s energies, especially if negative!  They can sense integrity and know when they are being lied to.  They almost demand respect and will not give it to others if they feel people are talking down to them.  They can be very compassionate, but may have many fears, particularly of death or of losing a loved one.

If they experience failure in early life, they may give up and develop permanent learning blocks. Sadly, they may then turn their destructiveness on to themselves.  They can also suffer from low blood sugar, leading to mood swings and fatigue problems because their energy levels are unbalanced.  So there are positives and negatives of having kids with ADHD. 

At the end of my talk, a few parents said how lovely it was to focus on seeing ADHD in a positive light, as they felt that often there is negative bias.  Their kids are very imaginative and gifted, and they choose to do only what they want and to work where their gifts lie!  They are here to help create a foundation of honesty and integrity, and to make other people snap out of their cosy existences and see the world in a different way.

So what can be done to help kids with ADHD?

Nutritionally, two things are especially important.  First cut out sugar, as it can interfere with the pancreas, wreaking havoc with the blood sugar levels and hence the child’s mood.  Essential fatty acids (EFA’s) omega 3, 6 and 9 are also very beneficial for children with ADHD.  EFA’s cannot be made by the body and must be ingested.  They can be taken as a supplement, or are found in olive / sunflower / hemp / fish oils.  These EFA’s facilitate the transmission of the nerve impulses that are needed for normal brain functions.  They also support energy metabolism and help us to handle stress.

As parents, teachers, guardians and carers, we all have a responsibility to try and understand these kids and teenagers.  They are very good at sensing integrity and intuitively know when people are lying to them.  In particular, they do not like to be spoken down to.  I have heard the following words on numerous occasions: “I feel misunderstood and nobody really listens to me.  Why can’t people accept me for who I am, and stop trying to change me?” 

Adults have a tendency to believe that we are OK and that the child has the problem.  Kids with ADHD will not allow you to keep deluding yourself!  If you continue to ignore or hide behind your fears, then these children may create havoc.  Frequently, when a child has a behavioural issue, the parents or teachers can get very stressed, lose their perspective and become immersed in the problem.  Children respond to this negative energy and judgement, and their behaviour deteriorates.  It’s not that children live your life, doing exactly what they want when they want without restriction or respect.  Children need parenting.  They need well defined boundaries with consistent and fair discipline.  And they need to be listened to!

Every child comes into this world with a need.  That need is to be “loved.”  This love is unconditional.  You love your child freely for who they are, without placing conditions or judgement on that love.  Love heals all relationships, dissolves all negative behaviours and brings harmony to every situation.      

I sometimes feel that we as a society are guilty of losing perspective about children with ADHD.  Yes, they are different, and yes they can sometimes be hard work … but if we could only step back and focus a little more on all their positive characteristics and attributes, we might see the situation in a different light … and more importantly, the children themselves would feel more appreciated, valued and understood.