青柳诊所手记36

我的父亲生前是做天气预报工作的，我则是在气象台的观测场边疯跑着长大的。那时做天气预报，可没有现在的卫星、电脑这些设备，大多数时候，就是通过从观测场得到的一些基础数据来推测可能的天气状况。

童年的记忆里，总有父亲盯着天上的云出神。

我们要去上学的时候，父亲总是看看天，然后叮嘱我们要不要带伞。绝大多数时候他都是对的，当然也有误判的时候。

记得有一个夏日的晚上，我们又像往常一样躺在竹床上歇凉，父亲在一旁用一把破旧的大蒲扇给我们赶蚊子。我向他抱怨：“爸呀，你昨天预报天晴，我们都没有带伞，结果放学回来的路上都被淋成落汤鸡了。

父亲就轻笑起来：啊，孩子，这种错误也是免不了的啊，因为我只是根据我的经验来推测罢了，真正决定天气的人可不是我啊。

“那是谁呢？” 我好奇地问。

他谨慎地看了看周围，然后轻轻说出两个字：上天。

有一天一个护士来找我看病，她在外省的一个癌症中心工作。我就问她几种常见癌症的预后状况。她想也不想就说：根据我的经验，其实，无论是什么癌症，他们的预后跟一种因素最有关系， 那就是性格和情绪。比如同是乳腺癌，那个病情特别严重的但是性格超级乐观的，就硬是活下来了，最后甚至一点问题都没有。而那个病情似乎很轻但情绪特别沮丧的人，竟然没多久就去世了……

渐渐地我就明白了：如果把人的身体看成一个观测对象的话，其实人也是一个小星体，他也有风雨也有晴。真正主导着着他的天气的，不是别人，正是他自己。医生、护士还有所有其它的医疗工作者，都只是一个天气预报员，而不是天气制造者。

有时候，当病人腰痛的时候，我告诉他们，这并不仅仅是肌肉骨骼的问题，而是肾虚腰痛，他们往往露出困惑的神色：这跟肾有什么关系呢？

很多时候，我告诉我的眼科病人，他们的眼疾来自于他们的肝气郁结，他们也大为不解：眼睛跟肝相隔这么远，它们之间有什么关系呢？

事实上，除了一些极少数的情况以外，无论是身体的哪个部位出了毛病，你都要首先把它跟你的五脏六腑联系起来。所以，学会聆听身体的语言是至关重要的。为什么我们那么乐意学一门外语，而不愿意花点时间去学会聆听自己身体的语言呢？

自古以来，中医一直就认为五脏跟情绪有着直接的对应关系。

肾不喜欢什么？它们说：我们不喜欢害怕、恐惧。你要是老害怕老恐惧我就生病了。而且不仅仅我生病，跟我关系亲密的老朋友，比如耳朵、咽喉、生殖、排泄系统等等，都可能要出毛病了。别说腰痛膝盖痛跟我有关，连掉头发或者黑眼袋都常常与我同行。

肝不喜欢什么？它说：我不喜欢愤怒、怨恨。你要是老愤怒老怨恨我就生病了，而且不仅仅我生病，我的老搭档们，比如头部、眼睛、胆囊，甚至手指头脚趾头等等，都可能要出问题了。甲状腺这样的问题啊，管它是甲亢还是甲减，都跟我有直接的关系。

心不喜欢什么？它说：我不喜欢激动狂躁。你老是激动狂躁，我的老伙计们，包括口腔、舌头、小肠都可能出毛病了。甚至脚上的水肿啊静脉曲张啊失眠啊健忘啊出汗过多啊都归咎于我。

肺不喜欢什么？它说：我不喜欢忧伤郁闷。你要是老忧伤郁闷，我的好朋友们，包括鼻子、喉咙、腮腺、皮肤都可能出毛病了。过敏跟我关系密切，甚至便秘都是我一手造成的。

胰腺不喜欢什么？它说：我不喜欢多愁善感心事重重。你要是老忧思多虑，包括嘴唇啊，食道呀，胃呀，十二指肠呀，阑尾呀，大小肠啊，都可能要出毛病了。甚至体重增加啊，痔疮啊，这些讨厌的问题都跟我脱不了关系。

……

常常有病人问我该吃什么东西对身体才最好，尤其是该吃什么维他命什么补充品。我真想告诉他们：吃什么喝什么其实都不是最重要的，最重要的是学会主宰你自己的天气。如果主宰天气的是上天，那么主宰你身体内的天气岂不是你？

当你极其不开心的时候，想像你的身体内乌云滚滚寒风呼啸。狂风暴雨之后，到处是残枝落叶，凄凉满目。

当你快乐喜悦的时候，想象你的身体内晴空万里碧空如洗，晶莹的水珠在花瓣上闪烁……

的确，人很渺小，世事无常，人生中有太多事情不是由我们说了算的。但是亲爱的你是否想过：无论何时何地，你的生命中至少有一样东西是你可以决定的， 那就是你身体内的天气。

说到这里，我记得多年前发生的一幕：

我跟一个老朋友一起散步。这是个自从18岁以后就完全看不见的盲人朋友。天突然下起雨来，我赶紧撑开雨伞帮他避雨，一面问他：你是不是跟我一样，讨厌这里的阴雨连绵？

他别过脸“看看”我，然后微笑起来：你看见雨了吗？我看见的只是阳光。

Whispering of Willows

-        About the Weather

By Dr. Anna Zhao

(https://whisperingwillowclinic.com)

During his work life, my father worked as a meteorologist, so I grew up running around the meteorological observatory. At that time, when making weather forecast in China, there was no fancy equipment such as satellites and computers, and mostly their forecast was based on basic data obtained from the observation sites.

In my childhood memories, my father was always contemplating the clouds in the sky, lost in thought.

When we were readying to leave for school, my father always took a glance at the sky first and told us if we needed to take an umbrella. He was right most of the time, but of course there were times when he made misjudgments.

I remember one summer night, we kids were lying outdoors on the bamboo bed trying to cool off, and my father was using a big old cattail leaf fan to drive away mosquitoes for us. I complained to him: "Dad, you predicted sunny weather yesterday, so we didn't take umbrellas. But it turned out it was raining cats and dogs, and we were soaked like ducks on the way back!”

My dad chuckled: Oh, my child, it is uncommon that I make this kind of mistake, because quite often my forecast is based on experience. I am not the one who really determines the weather.

"Who determines it then?" I asked curiously.

Glancing around cautiously he whispered: the Divine world.

Many years later, one day, a nurse came to see me. She worked at a cancer center in another province. I asked her about the prognosis of several common cancers. She replied quickly: According to my experience, no matter what kind of cancer it is, the prognosis is most related to one factor - the patient’s thoughts and emotions. For example, one Patient came in with a particularly serious case of breast cancer. However, her personality was super optimistic, and not only did she survive, she lived quite well with very few complications at all. Another who seemed to have a very mild form of cancer was extremely depressed and did not survive long...

Gradually, it dawned on me: we can perceive the human body as a small planet, subject to all sorts of weather: rain or shine or even storms. The weather creator is none other than the person him/herself. Doctors, nurses, and all other health care workers are merely weather forecasters, not weather makers – providing or repairing umbrellas for example.

Sometimes, when patients have low back pain, I tell them that this is likely not just a musculoskeletal problem, but kidney energy deficiency. They often look confused: What does this have to do with my kidneys?

Sometimes, I tell my eye patients that their eye diseases may stem from their liver energy stagnation, most of them are also puzzled: the eyes and the liver so far apart, what might be the relationship between them?

In fact, except for some rare cases, no matter which part of the body runs into difficulty, you should always connect it with your internal organs. It is more crucial to learn to listen to the language of the body than to learn a foreign language.

Since ancient times, Traditional Chinese Medicine always believed that there is a direct correspondence between the five internal organs and emotions.

What don’t your kidneys like? They would tell us: We don't like fear, and insecurity. If you keep being afraid, I'll be sick. And not only will I be I sick, but also my old pals who are close to me, such as your ears, throat, or reproductive, or digestive systems. Not to mention, low back pain and knee pain are related to me, even hair loss and dark bags under your eyes often accompany me.

What doesn’t your liver like? It would tell us: I don't like anger, or resentment. If you are always angry and resentful, I will get sick, and not only will I get sick, but also my close partners, such as your head, eyes, gallbladder, and even your fingers and toes, etc. Problems like thyroid, whether it is hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, are directly related to me.

What doesn’t your heart like? It will inform us: I don't like extreme excitement or agitation. If you are always agitated and restless, I will get sick, and not only will I get sick, but also my dear friends such as your mouth, tongue, and small intestine... Even the edema on your feet, varicose veins on your legs, insomnia, forgetfulness, and excessive sweating are all related to me.

What don’t your lungs like? They would tell us: We don't like being sad and depressed. If you are always sad and depressed, I will get sick, and not only will I get sick, but also my buddies will, including your nose, throat, sinus glands, and skin. Allergies are closely related to me, and even constipation is mostly caused by me.

What doesn't your pancreas like? It would tell us: I don't like it when you are ruminating and worrying. If you keep worrying and ruminating, I will get sick, and not only will I get sick, but also my comrades such as your lips, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, appendix, and intestines. Even weight gain, and hemorrhoids, these annoying problems are akin to me.

…

Patients often ask me what is best for their health, especially, making inquiries about what vitamins and supplements they should take. I would like them to realize: What you eat and drink is important but not the most important factor. Most essential is to learn to create your own weather in your inner environment. If it is the divine world that determines our world’s weather, it is you who determines the weather in your body.

When you are extremely unhappy, picture in your mind dark clouds rolling inside your body and a chilly wind howling. After such a violent storm, what you see are fallen branches and leaves; nothing but desolation.

When you are happy and joyful, of course the sky is clear and shines like crystal and the sparkling water droplets are glistening on the petals...

Indeed, sometimes we feel very small and helpless, and that the world is so transient, with so many things out of our control. But my dear friend, think about it: no matter when and where you are, there is at least one thing in your life that you can control, and that is the weather in your body.

As I wrote this, a scene from many years ago popped in my mind:

I went for a walk with an old friend, a man who has been completely blind since he was 18 years old. All of sudden it started to rain. I quickly opened my umbrella to shelter him, and as I did so I asked at the same time: isn’t it annoying that we have such frequent rainy weather?

He turned to "look" at me, then smiled: “Do you see only rain? All I see is sunlight.”