A friend was having lots of phlegm in her lungs and coughing continually but did not seem to dislodge it. I thought of my experience with Michael when he was about three years old.
Around that time I was working part-time in a local college but was sending Michael to a full time nanny. Michael was prone to cough and cold. One particular episode of flu was unusually virulent. He went through three sets of antibiotic plus other medication but was still coughing badly. My nanny's husband was a rather over bearing man. He instructed me to go to one village medicine shop (Chinese physician), ask for crocodile meat and whatever herb accompanying, boil them as instructed and force it down Michael's throat.
I was at wit's end then, so accordingly I did exactly as he instructed. The boiling formula was to add two bowls of water to the ingredients and boil it on low fire until I have one bowl of liquid left in the pot. I measured two bowls, started the slow boil. Then I sat down in the kitchen wondering how on earth would I know when to stop. After all, my eyes cannot tell me how much liquid would make one bowl. My dear husband walked in and asked me why I was sitting there watching the brew heating.
When he heard my difficulty, he tried not to laugh. He took a spoon and showed me the level of liquid with two bowls. So he said that when the liquid level falls to half that mark, the brew is ready. He used the spoon upside down, there was a leaf conveniently carved on the handle at the level where I should turn off the fire. I thought, why was I so stupid not to think of that myself. The big problem being solved, so I checked the brew every five minutes until it was done!
I remembered my husband and I forced fed the smelly medicine down my poor son's throat at about 5 pm. That night(at 1:30am) he woke up gagging and vomited a large pool of thick phlegm on the bathroom floor. The following day he was completely well.
My friend said her God ma did cook some foul broth twice like I said but it did not help her. She commented that if she were to go through what I related: having the difficulty of judging liquid level, she would be soundly scolded by her ex-husband. He could not accept the fact that she is not as clever and accomplished as he is. After about twenty years of being ill treated, put down, humiliated, emotionally abused... she finally called it quits. Her divorce finalized three years ago. She is rather happy earning her own keep now.
I believe she and I are both dyslexic to a certain extent, for her certain traits are more severe, I could have overcome my short comings a little further. I suppose it helped that my parents treated me like gold. I have spent the earlier part of my life earning honors. God was good that I won a scholarship to an American college. Many smarter people applied but could not go. I worked hard and graduated with honors. More than that, I was honored by the nomination to Phi Beta Kappa. Even if my husband dared to belittle me, I would not meekly swallow it. I know my own worth. It is not that I deserve honors, it is more of the fact that God has endowed me with lots of talents. He more than made up for all my short comings.
As I continue to listen to this woman who has suffered much. She in turn is helping her niece. That niece displayed even more classic symptoms of dyslexia. Well, the niece is fortunate that her aunt stuck her neck out to explain things to the former when she was 21. She will have many years of understanding and working within herself to overcome what needs to be worked on. She would not fall prey to others who might put her down because she could not help being what God made her to be.
Even for my friend who first learnt that she was merely dyslexic and not brain damaged at age 47, there is healing in God. As she accepts herself, peace and confidence would be her portion.
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