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submitted by Vicky Rathje
In the summer of 2001, with a successful career in medical sales, and my husbands finance career on track, we decided to buy our dream home in a rural community an hour north of Los Angeles. The property has 20 acres of land and views of mountains and valleys. Plenty of room for our 2 boys to romp and explore. We were on top of the world.
While shopping for carpet, a roll fell from an overhead storage rack, striking me on the head and neck. The accident caused mild brain injury and triggered fibromyalgia, a pain and fatigue condition. Because of memory problems, I was unable to return to my demanding job.
Throughout my rehabilitation, several healthcare practitioners encouraged me to reduce stress to hasten my recovery. We had just doubled our expenses and halved our income. It wasn't easy to relax!
Yoga, meditation, massage, accupuncture and aromatherapy were all critical components on my quest for health. I was especially intrigued with aromatherapy.
Using natural products became important to me as I had become sensitive to chemicals. Unfortunately, many products touted as natural were filled with synthetics and had very little or no true essential oils.
My favorite oil is lavender, a truly amazing herb. Scientific studies are documenting the effectiveness of lavender oil for improving mood, reducing stress and supporting immune functions. Additionally, lavender is an effective antibacterial and hastens the healing of wounds.
I became passionate about natural healing. So I combined my exuberance for lavender with my quest for a new career. In 2003 I planted 10,000 lavender plants and began developing natural bath, aromatherapy and comfort products.
I like to say I had the "scents" knocked into me. My accident reminded me that life is about more than chasing the next big sale, or accumulating things. Success and financial security are certainly important. But there has to be more. I decided to use my company as a platform to give back to society. I actively support the Breast Cancer Fund (www.breastcancerfund.org) whose efforts support public education and legislative action to identify and eliminate the environmental--and preventable--causes of breast cancer. We donate $5 to the Breast Cancer Fund for every lavender bouquet purchased.
Don't wait to be hit over the head to live your dream!
Vicky Rathje is the founder of Aromas for Living. She can be reached at vicky@aromasforliving. Her website is
www.AromasForLiving.com.
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