| I don't know about you, but I suspect that you | | | | In the city where I used to live, amidst the urban |
| grew up with the knowledge and message that | | | | crawl of modern houses, there was a small parcel |
| milk was good for you. It builds healthy, strong | | | | of farmland tucked away that still fell within the |
| bones and is filled with important nutrients like | | | | city limits. On that land lived an elderly couple who |
| calcium that your body needs. If you're a woman | | | | had maintained their small farm in what used to |
| like me, then this message probably had greater | | | | be an open space. On that land, they also had a |
| significance. I had a mom who insisted on serving | | | | small store, where they sold their fresh milk from |
| me milk with my meals. Unlike many of today's | | | | their special breed of dairy cows, as well as other |
| generation, I didn't have many options to drink for | | | | products. In what seemed like the last remaining |
| school lunch growing up, either. There were no | | | | example of "small town" businesses, where |
| soda machines, water, or juice in the lunchroom; | | | | owners often extended "credit" based on personal |
| only milk. And there were only two choices: plain | | | | relationships with their customers, their store was |
| or chocolate. (I often chose the chocolate!) | | | | left open and empty while the couple was out |
| So I grew up drinking milk and loved it; cold milk, | | | | doing their daily chores. Customers were free to |
| that is. When I was around 9 years old, I can | | | | enter, purchase their items, record it in a |
| remember a time when we went to visit Uncle | | | | notebook and leave their money on the counter. |
| Wayne on his farm, about twenty miles from | | | | The milk bottles were a special kind of bottle and |
| where we lived. When asked about what I | | | | it was emphasized that customers were to return |
| wanted to drink, I told my aunt and uncle | | | | the empty bottles before taking a new gallon of |
| emphatically that I wanted a glass of milk. When | | | | milk. My ex-husband loved that milk but I didn't |
| my aunt explained that they didn't have any, I | | | | particularly care for it that much, although I loved |
| must have whined, fussed and pouted to the | | | | going there. I loved going there just for the |
| point that Uncle Wayne had had enough. Eager to | | | | feeling of trust within their store and for the trust |
| play a joke on me, my jovial uncle Wayne | | | | that they extended to us. I loved going there to |
| proceeded to get the largest, widest glass he | | | | see the love and devotion they had for one |
| could find and went outside, announcing that he'd | | | | another. Eventually, I learned to tolerate the fresh |
| be back in a jiffy. I had little understanding of why | | | | milk, but found that I had to limit my consumption |
| my parents and my aunt were snickering at the | | | | as it was high in calories. |
| time, in teasing anticipation of what was to come. | | | | When I became a mother, milk took on a deeper |
| Although I lived in Iowa and was used to farms, | | | | significance as my breasts were the supply of the |
| most of the farms in my area of the state didn't | | | | fresh, warm substance in which I nourished my |
| own dairy cows, so I wasn't familiar with fresh | | | | two children. I was proud to be giving them this |
| milk. (The dairy farms were mainly in Wisconsin.) I | | | | gift as I knew and understood the importance of |
| soon learned a lot about fresh milk, straight from | | | | it all for their overall health. But there was |
| the cow, as my uncle came back into the room | | | | something much deeper about the experience |
| and set the glass on the table. I can remember it | | | | that I know every mother who has nursed |
| looked different: almost steaming with a yellowish, | | | | understands and that is the special bond it creates |
| creamy texture at the top. I can remember | | | | between children and their mothers. I often felt |
| asking my uncle why the glass felt warm to the | | | | sorry for their dad and for other men as I know |
| touch and hearing him answer me that it was a | | | | they cannot possibly understand this deep spiritual |
| special kind of milk. Eager to try it out, thinking | | | | connection between a nursing mother and child, |
| this must be some special sweet glass of milk, I | | | | flowing from the breasts to the mouths of our |
| took a sip. Yuck! Eeewww! This was awful, I | | | | babies. While nursing, I even had the courage to |
| thought, and there was no way I was going to | | | | take a small taste of my own milk, and found it |
| drink this! | | | | warm and sweet. What a long way I had come |
| It must have been hilarious for the adults in the | | | | since that day on my uncle's farm when I refused |
| room to see the expressions on my face as I | | | | the warm, creamy milk! |
| tried to reject the glass of milk my uncle had so | | | | Recently, I had a very stressful week at work at |
| carefully fetched for me. But when I insisted that | | | | also had a huge disagreement with a loved one. |
| I didn't like it, my uncle then proceeded to tell me | | | | Feeling desperate for relaxation and comfort, I |
| that I had to drink it all. I can remember this | | | | remembered that I had a sample of a milk bath I |
| torture, or what felt like torture, in having to sit | | | | had purchased some time ago. Since it was |
| there and stare at this strange glass of something | | | | labeled "Stress Relief," I decided to try it out. |
| that I knew wasn't real milk, despite what my | | | | I drew the hottest bath I could stand and poured |
| uncle insisted. After what seemed like an eternity | | | | the natural milk crystals under the running water. |
| to me, my uncle even put the glass in the | | | | The water didn't produce bubbles, but looked |
| refrigerator to "save" for me until later when I | | | | enriching and inviting. As I sunk into the tub, I was |
| was ready to drink it. Fortunately, in what felt like | | | | soothed and nurtured by the comfort of the hot, |
| the biggest rescue of my life at that time, my | | | | steamy treatment, softening my skin. I was |
| mother and aunt felt sorry for me, and took the | | | | nurtured by the strokes of nourishment to my |
| opportunity to dump the milk down the drain | | | | soul that this milk bath was giving me. I |
| when my uncle and dad left the room awhile later. | | | | remembered. I remembered the relationships with |
| What a relief that was that I didn't have to finish | | | | milk: my parents, my uncle, my "host mom" in |
| that warm glass of something my uncle called | | | | Argentina, my ex-husband, the couple on the |
| "milk." | | | | farm within the city, my children and my guy. I |
| About eight years later, while studying on an | | | | didn't want to get out and stayed as long as I |
| exchange program in high school to Argentina, my | | | | could, until the water was no longer hot. It's as if I |
| "host mom" used to prepare a glass of hot milk | | | | could hear Uncle Wayne saying to me, "You'd |
| for me at bedtime. I remember thinking about | | | | better finish it all." |
| my uncle the first time she served it, but in an | | | | So now I know that milk has everything to do |
| effort to be polite, courteously tried it and found | | | | with body and soul. I will buy more of the milk |
| it wasn't that bad. She took great care in | | | | bath and get my daily servings in for both my |
| preparing that milk for me every night, and | | | | body and soul. When was the last time you had a |
| welcomed me with love into her home, treating | | | | glass of milk? Was it whole milk, 2%, 1% or |
| me as if I were her own daughter. Serving me | | | | fat-free? Perhaps you are lactose-intolerant or |
| the hot milk was her way of expressing love to | | | | you prefer soy or chocolate, like me? Today |
| me, and I am forever grateful. (She, on the other | | | | there are so many kinds of milk that can nourish |
| hand, had whiskey in her milk every night!) | | | | us. Have you had your minimum servings today? |