Celebrating the Good Life
Dr. Carolle Jean-Murat, MD
When
I celebrated my 62nd birthday, someone asked me how I felt about
getting old. I was surprised by this question since I don’t think of
myself as old. Later that night, I took a good look in the mirror while
undressing. I realized that, yes indeed, I was growing old. Reflected
back to me was the image of someone who looked much different than in
years past. I now have grey hair, my belly is no longer flat, and I’ve
gained a few pounds. I remembered the days when I was so skinny that my
little brother, Lesly, would call me a broom stick! And there have been
many times since, when I wished I was as skinny as I was back then.
I
was born and raised in Haiti from a family with shamanic roots –
including a maternal grandfather a Voodoo priest, well-known indigenous
healer and shaman. He cured me when I became gravely ill at age of 9
when Western medicine could not save me. On his death bed he made me
promised to never forget my roots. But I had to keep it a secret
otherwise I would be an outcast because of the “Bad Voodoo blood running
in my veins.”
But even though my childhood was not what I might have chosen, I was
blessed to have caregivers who taught me so many precious things about
life and love.
Circumstances
and many life challenges have given me the opportunity to go far beyond
what was expected of me. I was encouraged to dare to dream big and
blessed to be able to envision for myself things I had never even seen. I
was gifted with an optimistic outlook. I have been able to formulate
goals, seize the opportunities that came to me, and watch my goals
manifest by taking life head on and overcoming the obstacles on my path
because I saw them as opportunities.
I’ve
had the pleasure of living in many countries, speaking many languages
and having dear friends from all walks of life. I was able to get an
excellent education from top-notch institutions around the world that
others only dream of. I've had the blessing of becoming a doctor, a
surgeon, and in 1982 started a private practice in San Diego as the
first black woman OB-GYN in Southern California.
As
my grandfather, I could intuitively see the root cause of a patient’s
illness, knowing in my bones whether she needed surgery or not. Soon, it
became impossible for me to thrive in Western medicine. Eventually, I
had to quit delivering babies in 1992, then surgery in 1999 since I
could no longer afford malpractice insurance and could heal my patients
without using the knife.
To
whom much is given, much is expected. I also never forgot where I came
from. I now use my rare combination of skills in community clinics in
San Diego and in my beloved Haiti. How can I describe the feeling of
satisfaction when, because of these special abilities, I am able to
improve someone’s life?
My
life purpose to empower and help women – and a few good men – to follow
a healthier path is being accomplished by spending one-on-one time with
a select few. I also use the power of communication presently
available, such as the Internet, books, articles, speaking engagements,
teleconferences, audio, and videos, to convey my messages to more people
than I could ever have imagined.
I
am blessed to live in a beautiful place – the Retreat Center that I now
share with others. I am thankful that I was able to transform my yard
into a beautiful botanical garden of my own design, where mischievous
birds live and play. I took time to learn about and carefully select my
fruit trees, and a myriad of succulents, cacti, and flowers – which came
from seedlings, nurseries, or friends’ gardens. It has been a miracle
to watch them grow! And when I pick a mouth-watering fruit or freshly
cut flower, it is just like when I would take care of a pregnant woman
from conception to the moment I held her squirming, beautiful baby in
the delivery room. When I wake up in the mornings, many times just the
thought of all my treasures brings tears to my eyes in a powerful
experience of gratitude.
I
enjoy excellent emotional, spiritual, and physical health because I’ve
learned to listen to my intuition and body signals. In this way, I treat
my being as the sacred temple that it truly is. I am able to accomplish
this effortlessly, knowing that there is no bad or good food, eating
and drinking what I enjoy at any time but in moderation, and knowing
when to rest my body and replenish my soul.
I
am glad that I have so many people who love me and who I love. I am
able to surrender, knowing that my search is over – that all that is to
be given me will come exactly when I need it. I realize now that I have
finally become my own best friend. I am ready to love myself and my body
“as is!” I am no longer afraid that I will change even more as time
goes by. I now have grey hair, the extra pounds are here to stay, and I
welcome whatever challenges life will bring. I consider the process of
growing old to be a blessing and opportunity that not everyone gets: an
opportunity to grow even more deeply into who I am – to live well, love
well, and help others along the way.
When I first told my husband about this recipe he was a bit skeptical. After all, it sounded like pasta with onions on top. This isn't much to the pasta but simple is often better and in this case that was more then true.
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining oil to pan. Add in the onions and sugar and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the onions have browned.
