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You can never underestimate the need to take care of the past if you want to have a future filled with mental wholeness.
You Need to Take Care of the Past (Maybe Even Someone Else’s Past)
“It’s so sad,” the gentleman said with a shake of his head after I told him I worked with Native American students. “So many Indians are obese.”
I cringed at his thoughtless, hurtful words. “Have you considered,” I asked as gently as I could (I wanted to punch the self-righteous look off his flabby face), “perhaps their obesity isn’t their fault?”
“What do you mean?” he said, “they’re the ones who each too much fry-bread and super-size their fast food meals.”
“But scientists have shown trauma changes our epigenome and adds tags to our DNA. Tags that determine how our bodies process and store food, react to loud noises, and a whole slew of other things.”
“Are you telling me every Indian out there has experienced trauma?” the skepticism dripped from his voice.
“The effects of the trauma, the changes in the DNA tags, get passed down from one generation to the next. Just like you can’t change when you go bald, the descendants of traumatized people can’t change how their bodies react to certain things.”
“Harrumph. Have you seen any interesting sparrows lately?” he asked with an abrupt change of topic.
I let the matter drop. Too much information wouldn’t help him change his prejudice, but maybe he would start thinking and do some research on his own.
In today’s podcast, you’ll learn more about epigenetics and the effect they have on both us and our children.
Show Notes
Come Back Next Week
Next week I’ll talk about how our bodies keep the score.
- Welcome to the Inspire Me Monday Community! The link-up opens Sundays at 4 pm, Arizona time.
- Link up your family-friendly inspirational posts (no more than two, please).
- Visit the person who links up BOTH before you and after you and leave a comment. This helps keep our community vibrant!
Thanks for the opportunity to link up. Since I was first, I’ll make sure to come back and visit the links following mine.
Gina recently posted…Beneath Cruel Fathoms (The Bitter Sea Trilogy Book 1) by Anela Deen | 2021 BBNYA Finalist Tour
Thanks for being a supportive community member, Gina!
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Sweet, Inspirational Regency Romance New Releases
Very intriguing…
Thanks so much for all the goodness you share.
Michele+Morin recently posted…What Are Spiritual Disciplines and Why Are They So Important?
The more I read about trauma, the more fascinated I am. Next week I’ll be talking about an amazing book I just finished, the delves deeper into how our bodies react to stress.
Anita Ojeda recently posted…What a Tired Mama Moose Taught Me About Accepting Seasons
Have you watched the ‘Ghost in the Genes’
series Anita?
It’s a fascinating research series about epigenetics.
Great post!
Blessings,
Jennifer
Tea With Jennifer recently posted…The Art of the Slow
I haven’t! Is it on Netflix? I’ll have to look for it, for sure!
Anita Ojeda recently posted…What an Owl Taboo Taught Me About Making Right Choices
This is very intriguing, Anita! I look forward to learning more.
Lisa Blair recently posted…10 Bible Verses to Help us Dwell in God’s Peace
I’m excited to share what I’ve learned from The Body Keeps the Score!
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Five Ways Owls Are Created for Survival in a Dark World
So true! I had to come to terms with my past before I could move freely in my future! I couldn’t have done that if I hadn’t known who I was to God!
Exactly! Sometimes, God can lead us to himself without outside help. But sometimes we need a professional who can see through the lies we’ve believed and help us overcome the trauma of our childhoods so we can find the One who loves us unconditionally.
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Did the Almighty Actually Promise Us Peace on Earth?
Anita, this video was very interesting to me. Thank you for sharing it with us all today!
You’re welcome! Our counselors use EMDR with many of our students, and it works very well.
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Does God Want Me to Stretch While I Wait for the Next Thing?
Thank you for hosting the link-up. Have a wonderful week.
Carol
Carol recently posted…Casual Grooming Tips for Women over 60
This is really interesting. I always learn so much from you!
Lauren Renee Sparks recently posted…February is Finished (Almost)
:). Thank you for stopping by!
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Sweet, Inspirational Regency Romance New Releases
I’ve read some about how our bodies react to trauma, and how that response does pass down to descendants. I love that you had scientific information to share with the man you mentioned. We truly do need to come to terms with our past if we want to thrive in our future. Looking forward to learning more, Anita!
We are fearfully and wonderfully made (and sin has allowed us to really mess each other up : ( ).
Anita Ojeda recently posted…What a Tired Mama Moose Taught Me About Accepting Seasons
So many mysteries. We are truly fearfully and wonderfully made—body, soul, and spirit connected.
Debbie Wilson recently posted…For Whom or What Are You Willing to Die?
Exactly. We aren’t separate entities–each facet of our selves is connected to the whole.
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Five Ways Owls Are Created for Survival in a Dark World
I think you may have been placed in that man’s path for a reason! Our ignorance divides us, but it can be remedied with truth. Our bodies are fascinating and perfectly made as Debbie reminds us!
Lynn recently posted…Intentional Acceptance
I hope so! I’m learning more and more that circumstances outside of one’s control actually controls so much of how we turn out. Our job is to love and to help point people to the Healer.
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Sweet, Inspirational Regency Romance New Releases
I so appreciate your compassion, Anita. You make the world a better place.
Lisa notes recently posted…7 Books I Recommend—February 2022
This is all so fascinating. My daughter recently read a book about how parents, grandparents and relatives’ habits effect so many things regarding the baby a mother is carrying. Like if your grandfather smoked it affects the grandchild in certain ways. Just like trauma and cycles can be passed down in families. Yay, that trauma and past hurts can be healed and not passed to the new generation. We can break generational and family patterns. Such a good book, The Body Keeps the Score.
Theresa+Boedeker recently posted…Is God Really Good All the Time?
I had not heard of this branch of study–I didn’t know current and past events could affect our DNA. It makes sense, though, that everything that goes into our lives affects every part of our lives.
Barbara Harper recently posted…How Well Do We Know Him?
Anita, this topic of epigenetics is something that just came onto my radar recently. So recent, in fact, that I didn’t even know there was a term for it! I am so fascinated by all of it and need to read and learn more! Thank you for discussing it!
Shelbee