The Amish are widely celebrated and respected for making the most beautiful quilts.
What many people don’t know about these coveted quilts though is that Amish women intentionally sew one imperfect patch in to each and every perfect quilt.
The intention is to serve as a reminder that nothing man ever does is perfect, only God is perfect.
Regardless if you are Amish, or believe in God or not, no one can argue that life is perfect. Life is just not perfect, nor are people.
So why am I talking about quilts?
Well recently a few dedicated readers have felt a little bit overwhelmed by all the new health tips they are working to follow.
They are heroically battling the plastics in their kitchens, avoiding the evil enemies of the kitchen table, trying to eat whole foods, learning to eat less fatty animal products, trying to remember which foods to buy organic, working to deal with the root cause of their problems while simultaneously juggling the demands of work, family, friends and life in general.
So do you have to be perfect? Do you have to do it all?
No, you just have to be fabulous like an Amish quilt.
The best quilts are made piece by piece with room for imperfection.
Recently a new friend commented on how “practical and real” the advice on this site is.
Happy she was able to recognize the goal of this site, my response was that “as a doctor I have realized that most people just need to keep things in a healthy state of balance, if you aren’t sick you don’t have to do the extreme. I am working to teach people tips for happier, healthier, more enjoyable living both in the short term and the long run. I am also passionate about preventing disease, because disease prevention is so much more simple than treating disease.”
So, please raise your hand if you think I follow every single bit of advice I ever dispense…(wonders if anyone actually thinks that HIGHLY of me to raise their hand…)
Does that make me a hypocrite? No it makes me as authentic and real as an Amish quilt.
My hope for everyone that I encounter is that they are inspired to do the same.
All you have to do to prevent disease and enjoy happier, healthier living is gradually piece together the advice that resonates with you. Pick your pattern and choose the colors that best reflect who you are. Continue reading about the different ways to improve your health so you can easily weave in the new tips that work for you. Many kudos to all of you that so diligently try to follow all the ideas I dispense! Self care is the best gift you can give yourself.
Personally, I follow the “80/20″ rule in life. Eighty percent of the time I eat right and exercise, sleep well and take care of myself; so that the other twenty percent of the time I just don’t have to worry about things.
Ultimately I think that worrying about things is worse for us than anything else.
If that is the case, do you really need to worry yourself sick over that one inevitable imperfect patch?
Or would your time be better off spent ensuring the rest of the quilt is brilliantly pieced together?
~Dr. Nicole Sundene
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Dr. Nicole Sundene is the editor-in-chief of Kitchen Table Medicine. A graduate of Western Washington University for her undergraduate degree, and Bastyr University for her Naturopathic Physician degree, she also spent eight years working as a Medical Assistant for the world renowned leading institute Virginia Mason Medical Center. Throughout her education she had the invaluable opportunity to work side by side with many talented physicians specializing in Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Otolaryngology, Cardiology, Dermatology, Urology, and Urgent Care. Her alternative medicine education along with training at Virginia Mason combined with the many years spent talking to patients as a telephone triage “nurse” have given her a diverse perspective on health care in America.
Dr. Nicole,
What a beautifully written article.
I’ve heard that story of the Amish quilts, and found it quite fascinating. They do have the right idea. We are not perfect, and no matter how hard we try, we never will be.
I like your idea of using the 80/20 rule for diet/health/exercise. Although it may seem like a cop out, it does give us a chance to not be so strict with ourselves that we can’t keep up.