HoT – Royal

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This week the theme for HoT is Royal, which fits nicely into my “home” theme as well!

When I lived and worked in VA, I was blessed enough to work with/for my dear friend, mentor, confidante and esteemed leader Barbara.  Barb is by far one of the most intelligent, caring, kind, loving and fair people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.  Working with her was an honor, and there is not a single day from that time that I did not learn something about natural health, the world, or myself.

Barb is also a very modest and pragmatic person.  She doesn’t accept thanks well, nor praise.  It’s her job, she says.  Because of her knowledge and demeanor, I dubbed her “the Queen”.

Everyone who ever graced the doorway of the Natural Path knew I called her the Queen.  If presented with a question or situation I felt needed further investigation, I would say “let’s ask the queen”.  It always brought a smile, but also a realization to the community that she was a force to be reckoned with. If Barb said do it, you did it.  Someone once said that if she was the queen, that made me the princess.  I declined, as I felt I would never live up to the royalty of the Barb.

Amusingly enough, her husband and co-owner of the shop decided that since she was the queen, that made him King.  We quickly informed him that, in fact, he was NOT the king, as this was a Matriarchal society, not a kingdom.  That wasn’t much to his liking, but not a lot he could do about it!

I still consider the time I worked there the most fortunate in my life.  I learned more, laughed more, cried more, and discovered a strength in myself I had never seen.  It’s where I got my ND, taught classes, took classes, saw clients and met some wonderful, caring people that I am still honored to call friend. It’s where I broke the “no food for sale in the shop” rule and brought in Dagoba Chocolate…still one of my all time favorite foods.  It’s where we invented the “special hat”…a fictitious chapeau one would don when discussing a particularly …um….graphic or disgusting health condition….usually being experienced by one of us.  We could talk about other peoples gross stuff…bowel or erection problems, etc., but when it was one of us or our immediate family, we donned the hat.  A conversation that began with “um…you need to put on the special hat” usually led to one of us, if not both, nearly rolling on the floor in laughter, tears streaming as we tried to remain professional and courteous as we did to the customers.

It was, and still is, a place of learning, understanding, awareness, acceptance and royalty, ruled by the Queen of Fredericksburg.  If you’re ever in the neighborhood, stop by and give her a hug for me.

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Filed under Heads or Tails, June Nablopomo