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How two Christmas gifts made me look at the body in a whole new light

woman at spa getting facial treatment

Ground Picture / Shutterstock

Cerith Gardiner - published on 01/18/23

Sometimes it's good to have a little reminder of the perfection in God's creation.

For Christmas. a friend of mine gave me a voucher to have a Japanese facial massage, known as Kobido. It’s a technical massage using very specific movements meant to rejuvenate the face. It was all very new to me.

I must admit I was skeptical. I’m a pretty impatient person and the idea of having someone pummel my face for an hour wasn’t very appealing. But, I didn’t want to take away from my friend’s pleasure in giving me this treat.

So off I went for an hour of what I thought would be torture, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. Later, I described the treatment to my friend as “divine.” Not only was I the most relaxed I’d probably been in years, I was utterly fascinated by the whole process.

The beautician used intricate movements, pinpointing areas that would have an effect on circulation, texture, and the effects of stress … among other things. And, a little bonus, my double chin was actually not so pronounced afterwards!

That one hour made me think of the power and mystery of our bodies — all the little micro- organisms, the vessels, the network of muscles running through from the top of our heads to our toes.

This was all emphasized with yet another Christmas gift. My eldest son gave me a massager. (It would seem that those closest to me think I need to relax a little!) At first I thought, “There’s another gadget that’s probably never going to be used.”

However, I got the device out of the box to have a go. It’s like a hairdryer with different accessories to achieve the perfect massage. Yet again, this special treat made me consider the wonders of the human body.

My body is something I take for granted — maybe you do that, too. I’m fortunate to have good health and have never had to question what my body can do, apart from when I gave birth to my kids, which really brought the miracle of life home.

Yet these two presents made me look at the body as a whole, with its network of zillions of little functions. And it made me think that when our Heavenly Father created us, He really knew what he was doing. He not only gave us the gift of life, He created something so miraculous that we’re only beginning to understand and appreciate its splendor.

Tags:
Catholic LifestyleChristmasHealth and Wellness
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