Best Doctors and Medicine

A beloved village doctor, knowing death was closing in, decided it was time to pass along what he had learned about health during his many years of treating the sick. He was known for his intuitive ability and quick assessment of what was bothering a patient. The face and walk would often tell him what was wrong and what cure was necessary. When the villagers came to be with him in his last moments of life, he told them about the best doctors they could have. They would be much better, he said, than he had been in keeping them healthy. They were Dr. Food, Dr. Sleep and Dr. Exercise.

Food is needed to fill the stomach, about 75 percent full; don't overeat, he said. Go to sleep before midnight and get up at dawn. And exercise daily, walking is one of the best. These three will take care of most of your physical  problems, he said. He stopped briefly to catch his breath.

Along with  the food, sleep and exercise, he continued, there are three medicines that need to be taken daily to assure good results. Everybody at the doctor's bedside came closer to hear. These medicines are food for the soul; they're free and have no side-effects. Because the body is only a part of what we are, he explained, we must care for the soul as well. It's the reason we need Reflection, Prayer, and Love to be truly healthy.

Reflection  should be done regularly, every day at a certain time throughout ones life. Prayer is a cure-all for whatever is bothering us. And Love never fails. Use it often, he urged; it's our most potent medicine.

Having given his last prescription to the villagers, it was time to leave them, and he closed his eyes for the last time.

A diocesan bulletin, which recently carried the story, asks its readers how much of the doctor's advice do we consider important and follow in our daily lives.

Asians like to hear folk tales, legends, and parables--the ones with ferverinos  are especially welcomed. With the sophistication that comes with having access to the news of the past as well as the present, we may have outgrown the simplicity of these tales. But many of them contain enough truth, such as the doctor's story, to make their retelling worthwhile.