Thank you Costa del Sol

I recently returned from an emergency trip to Denmark, where I was sitting by my mother’s hospital bed. I am grateful that I could arrange the journey and be there for my mother who needed assistance. She simply shouldn’t be alone, and as my brother was on the other side of the world and my sister was down with the flu, I was where I wanted to be: with my Mom. She has always been very active and helpful to a lot of people, and now she gets thousandfold again in loving amounts.

We met professional care and a lot of empathy, which is not a matter of course. The health system in Denmark has been under pressure and is fully streamlined down to the bone. Despite bustle, there was a calm and special surplus of presence and human contact both at Rigshospitalet and Hillerød Hospital. Everyone involved deserves great praise. Thank you to the super surgeon who made sure to remove the lump of a huge thyroid gland that pressed the trachea leaving only 2mm for the air to pass through. It was a close call. My sweet little mother has now recovered from pneumonia on top of it and is happily back at the nursing home, such a relief. Thank you to my lovely family for being there. It was the glue of togetherness that helped us through. Thanks to” messenger” where we could talk together at all times of the day to support our mom and each other.

As many of you know, time “disappears” when you are at a hospital. Many hours I sat and waited, took care of mom, and most of all: was present. In such serious situations, I am hit by gratitude. Life is so short, and one of the most important things for me, is to take a break, be happy for life, for the privilege I enjoy, by having my home on Costa del Sol in Spain. I have enjoyed coming here since the mid-1980s. After my MD graduation, I spent a couple of years here from 1993-95, focusing on acupuncture, food and nutrition.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since December 15th of 2000 when the plane landed in Malaga and I carried my Danish specialist medical training as consultant in my luggage. I started a so-called zero practice, ie. from bare grounds. Slowly but surely there was a wonderful response to my interest in lifestyle changes, food and nutrition, and how we keep ourselves healthy. A special thank you goes to the Danish magazine Solkysten, where editor Per-Ole Dønstrup interviewed me in June 2001. Since then I have written in Solkysten every month. It has grown to about 215 articles about many different subjects all about health, vitality and well-being. Thank you to the readers for being so fond of them.
Read the interview here (Danish) >

Costa del Sol is full of entrepreneurs and pioneers who have left their home country and have established themselves here and created a life with or without business. There is a special drive and robustness among us settlers, especially with regard to health; the curiosity and willpower to do something for your health and finding solutions when challenges are tough. Thank you for that attitude towards life.

We have very good conditions here. The lovely climate with lots of outdoor activities such as beach and mountain walks, yoga, tennis and golf all year round, lots of fruit and vegetables and not the least the warm tone among Spanish people makes you feel happy and gives confidence. It’s nice to experience internal and external sunshine, and I pinch myself in my arm from the joy of being here. I am a traveller in health and enjoy my self-created privilege and home. Thank you to all my clients for bearing with me when I am doing retreats, trainings, travel and leave, so that I return with renewed energy and approaches to health.

While I was sitting by my mother’s bed, this wonderful video appeared about BEING. (see the text below) We are often so focused on running around and DOING. There is an increasing pressure on us to perform. When I was sitting by my mother’s sick bed, there was only one thing that counted: being present. Presence and care is the best medicine available. Watch the video >