My (Great) Hope for 2024

My dream to redefine health

Well — we are one week into 2024, and it has already been a doozy. Many people are sick with COVID, influenza, RSV, whooping cough, norovirus, measles, and more. Per usual, this week’s public health news will be summarized in my Three Things Thursday post on Thursday. Be sure you are subscribed so you do not miss a thing —

In the midst of so many contagious diseases — diseases that spread easily from one person to another — spreading throughout our communities, I wanted to share my great hope for 2024. Last week I shared the three stories I think will dominate our public health/medical headlines of 2024. Those three things — climate change, the Presidential election, and the Supreme Court decision — are things I expect to be in the headlines throughout the new year.

Here I am sharing my hopes and dreams for 2024.

As we enter the new year, I dream that we will all redefine what it means to be healthy and what health is. If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that when our health is threatened everything is impacted. Financial markets collapse. Schools are closed. Loneliness sets in. Frustration grows. Violence increases. People die. Opportunities are missed. We spend too much time at our desks and in front of our screens. We miss visiting with friends and family.

Health is so connected to everything that without health there is nothing.

I dream that we all begin to think of health as a system — the health(eco)system. I want to illustrate what I mean by a health(eco)system by asking you to think of a forest (I’m imagining Fangorn from The Lord of the Rings, but the Redwoods are a good image, too).

In this analogy, imagine that we are each an individual tree (I’m imagining myself as a blooming cherry tree). What kind of tree are you?

I would argue (strongly) that in our forest of HEALTH we all need to have strong deep roots in the soil of PREVENTION.

I want (and would argue we all should) to prevent disease before it occurs. I want vaccines that prevent severe illness. I want clean water to prevent the spread of cholera (and other waterborne diseases). I want clean air to prevent asthma attacks from occurring. I want amazing sex education to prevent disease and violence. I want healthcare providers who talk to patients about the dangers of smoking, vaping, drugs, and too much screen time before addiction begins. I want clinics built in communities that lack access to health care. I want a healthcare system that values a healthy individual more than it values someone who is sick.

Like trees in a forest, we each must grow out of a strong foundation of PREVENTION.

We each must strive to be healthy.

But we also must realize that we are just one tree in a vast global forest.

In that forest, lightning could strike a very healthy tree igniting a forest fire that could kill trees for miles around. A fungus could spread from tree to tree causing disease and death. Or a tree that is unhealthy could suck the life out of the trees surrounding it.

The health of the forest is measured by the health of the soil, the health of individual trees, the health of groups of trees, the health of the environment in the forest (too much brush/tinder could result in a bigger fire), and the ways (healthy or not) in which the forest is used by others.

Health is not a singular thing.

Everything in the forest ecosystem is connected. Shifts and changes in one part of the ecosystem will impact all areas of the ecosystem.

Photo credit.

And so it is with health.

We are all connected.

When someone is unhealthy, it could lead to others becoming ill. Or healthcare costs could increase. Or premature death could occur — leaving children without parents. Or someone is unable to go to work to do their job — teachers are unable to teach, doctors unable to care, bus drivers unable to transport us. Being sick is not just an individual problem. Illness is a health(eco)system problem.

Being healthy is actually a radical act of care for ourselves AND a selfless act of loving others. We all must strive to create healthy communities.

When I dream of redefining health in the new year, I keep coming back to loving others. Of loving my neighbor. And of creating healthy communities for all.

Spaces where we can all be healthy and safe.

As I work to redefine health — I must take steps to stop the spread of contagious diseases through vaccinations and staying home when I am feeling ill. I can also seek out preventative care — annual physicals, visits with a mental health counselor, cancer screenings, and more — so that I can be diagnosed early. And you must do the same to keep our health(eco)system thriving.

Most importantly I believe each of us has a purpose in life. And when we care for ourselves — our physical, mental, and social/emotional health — we can bring our best selves to our communities. For me, this means that when I am healthy I can be a better mom, wife, teacher, friend, community activist, writer, and communicator. And when you are healthy, you can bring the best of yourself to our community. You have something to contribute, to share with me and with others. Being healthy allows you to bring all that you have to make our world a better more beautiful place.

You are needed in our health(eco)system.

The work that we have ahead of us — to refine health — involves each of us.

My dream for 2024 is that we all begin to think of health as a system and not just an individual act. We need to care for ourselves and fight for clean water, clear air, safe housing, safe schools, the reduction of gun violence, mental healthcare, more vaccines, more green spaces, health equity, and so much more.

Here’s to creating a healthy health (eco)system in 2024.

What are your dreams for 2024? Do your dreams intersect with mine? Can you imagine redefining health in 2024? Tell me all about it…