Health Time Capsule

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Do you remember as a child filling a shoe box with items you loved, to bury in the backyard to be dug up when you were older. A reminder of what life was like way back when. I have to admit, I would only last about a week before I would dig it back up. Today I am revisiting that theme, with a new twist. I am filling my time capsule with my life now as an adult with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It will not be opened until 2112, one hundred years from now, when I am long  gone. A legacy of sorts for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren, or maybe just someone passing through. Hmmmm, what do I put in this box. I'll be honest, I've thought about this for days and I am really struggling with this. Do I put in this box the items I wish I'd known before I got sick, the items that have helped me along this journey? Do I put only the good things, or the bad things too? Do I put visions of what I hope my life will be "when I get better"? One thing that absolutely comes to mind is a photo. A photo that I pass be everyday. It was taken on Easter of 2010, almost exactly 2 years ago. Only 4 months after my diagnosis.

Right in the thick of things, when I had no idea how much worse things would get before they got better. When I look at it I remember what it felt like to be in that body and yet we looked so happy, and we were.
The next thing I would probably add would be the wonderful book I found 6 months later, the beginning of the climb back up. Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? I would probably also add a copy of my IIN Program Guide. Without it, I don't think I would be alive today. When all else failed, this helped me put the pieces together, to customize and take charge of my own health. There would also be a bottle of kombucha, the only probiotic that reset my stomach, and coffee, who would have thought that taking up coffee would lead me to find out that I had very low stomach acid. Some dried fruit, nuts and herbs. A sampling of the importance of real foods. These are the many things that would tell specifically of my journey thus far. I look into my life and my health focus. I would also add a book that has yet to be written. A book detailing my journey, the ups and downs, the ins and outs. With stories of the autoimmune diseases before me. The genetic makeup of a long line of disease, and hopefully an end to the line for future generations. A letter, that says we have the power within ourselves to make a difference. Lastly, a postcard, maybe designed by me, that states 'IT'S ALL GOOD!'. We need to let go of the perfect life and complete control. Sometimes, that makes all the difference. Oh yes, and one more thing. I homemade knitted dishcloth. I leave you guessing on that one. When I try to visualize what the person who finds the capsule will think, I hope that they will find that no matter what our struggles, we are fully capable of making the best of our life and making it better. I hope that somewhere in that box will be the Aha! moment for someone who needs it. The right place at the right time. One hundred years from now it will probably look like folk lore, but sometimes that's just what we need.