Image of the Week: The Night of Fever
© D. Yael Bernhard
This painting depicts a night of fever in my daughter's early childhood. It came on suddenly, as illness does for toddlers, one winter night. I was up with her in the wee hours while her little immune system worked – naturally. Rarely have I suppressed a fever in my children or myself, other than giving them tincture of elder flower, which gently lowers a fever but does not take it away. I made sure my daughter was hydrated, held her tight, watched her closely, and never saw a sign of distress – only an elevated need for fluid, comfort, and rest.
My experience as a mother of three healthy kids is that our bodies are quite capable of fighting infections. In most cases they do so just fine, given the right nutrients and sufficient time. The midwives I trust and books I studied taught me that every time our immune system is allowed to ride a fever out, it becomes stronger and smarter – inscribed, so to speak, by each experience. Natural immunity is permanent, and the only way to achieve herd immunity – that is, to stop transmission to the point where the pathogen runs out of hosts. Artificial immunity cannot achieve this because it frequently fails to work, wears off, or still allows the pathogen to be transmitted to others – a Swiss cheese coverage at best, full of holes. Artificial immunity also deprives the immune system of exercise. When someone else does your work for you, what strength can you gain?
So I let my baby ride her sickness out. I saw the fever as waves of energy rippling through and around her. By dawn she was noticeably cooler, and it felt as if heavy clouds were breaking up and light was coming through. Once she turned that corner, she quickly recovered.
A few days later I felt moved to do two small paintings of that night, both from the same sketch, showing two different points on the healing arc – deep night, and early morning – one with white outlines on solid black, and the other with grey lines on a light background.
My children were seldom sick throughout their childhoods – and after each illness, I noticed a developmental leap. The same is not true of toxic interventions, which can do the opposite by damaging an immature nervous system. I believe our bodies have the ability to contend with illness. Whatever your concept of Creation, we are all endowed with an immune system. I believe in trusting and strengthening what we are given. Carrots, kale, and blueberries are among my many allies – along with good old-fashioned cod liver oil.
A good and healthy week to all –
D Yael Bernhard