Fear of Turkeys and a Grief Ritual

One of my family members is known for their quirky idioms. While arguably less poetic than “one swallow doesn’t make a summer”, one of my favourites is:

“It’s hard to soar with the eagles when you’re working with turkeys”

Keeping family and cultural traditions alive with storytelling is important to me. Most of my knowledge of ancestors I’ve never met has been passed down in:

(1) phrases they used to say
(2) music or songs they used to play or sing and
(3) what foods and medicine they were known for

When my parents pass, that will be the last link to a thick Scottish accent in our family line. While I can pass on phrases and traditional foods to my kids, the home remedies are limited. Not just because we live in another hemisphere, but because I’m rather fearful of poisoning my children.

I trust food from the supermarket more than the weeds that grow in our own property.

These past few weeks I’ve been feeling the pangs of my ancestors getting annoyed that I don’t really know or trust the land I’m on.

It’s the time of year when mushrooms, fungi and medicinal weeds are abundant in our area. While I’m comfortable with dandelions and purslane the mushrooms are a no-go. One free handful of mushrooms is not worth having to visit a hospital. Especially not in this current climate.

There is a frustration though. The same person who is known for the turkey reference bought us a bag of slippery jack mushrooms from a market. It probably cost $30, and yet I could walk 30 meters and find some under the pine trees on my property. Pretty certain isn’t a good enough risk though.

Same goes with another type of mushroom called turkey tail. As part of my efforts to keep my nervous system supported, I work with a Chinese Medicine practitioner and take a few herbs. Again, $30 or so for a preparation of turkey tail mushroom that I’m pretty sure is growing in abundance my yard.

I have a few books on Australian medicinal plants, and I’ve done some self study, but sometimes you can only get so far on your own with growth. What I really need to get me over the fear that I’m going to poison my family is mentoring from someone who has the knowledge I need. It’s on my list.

How many times do you avoid something in your business because of fear, when actually, the antidote to the fear is a teachable skill?

Or how many times you have clients who fear something about their parenting or mental health that’s a teachable skill?

While I research mentoring for my medicinal herb knowledge, think about what has you feeling like a turkey?

What are you fearful of that is simply a lack of knowledge or skill that’s teachable?

If it’s creating and selling an online course, I can help with that! I’m working on re-releasing Course Creation for the Caring Professions. In Spring or maybe Summer, depending on my energy.

Speaking of not pushing to control outcomes or feelings, for this week’s Mum As You Are podcast I recorded a brief exercise for soothing frustration and grief. It might be useful for yourself or for clients.

Reminder my calendar is HERE or just hit reply 🙂

Erin