My Journey

Where did it all begin? My journey began in the Panama Canal Zone. Yes, I am one lucky little girl. I lived in La Boca at the mouth of the Panama Canal on the Pacific side of the isthmus. Nothing was better than exploring my hood and all that nature and the tropics had to offer.

Days were spent knocking mangos out of our favorite trees, playing in the warm rain, and skim-boarding in the flooded fields. If the season was right, the guinep trees were ripe for picking. I loved catching polliwogs and keeping them in a big bowl till they got their legs and releasing them. I was and still am a girlie-girl, but I could climb a tree like any boy in town and sit on the highest branches quietly watching the world below. Warm summer nights were filled with endless games of ring-a-levio with all the neighborhood kids. I spent hours sitting on the grassy banks of the canal watching the ships passing through and dreaming about the future. This was my playground.

On Saturdays my parents often loaded us into the big red station wagon and headed to the interior of Panama. We were on a mission to buy fresh Boquete oranges, then stop at the chicken farm for fresh eggs. The last stop was the Chinese garden on the way back for more fresh fruits and vegetables. See, my Mom grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania and, although transplanted to the Canal Zone, she wanted the best and freshest foods for her family. We'd come home and, as a family, squeeze oranges for hours. Fresh orange juice for days! After my recent exposure to essential oils, I remember those oranges fondly. We used to squeeze and squirt the rind at each other. Getting it in your eyes was no fun. Little did I know that my passion would someday be the essential oil in that rind.

Lately I have realized the love of nature and plants came from my Mother. She had a green thumb (me...not so much). If you got too much sun or burned yourself on the stove, she'd crack a stem of the aloe plant from the back yard. Tummy ache or flu...ginger. Cough... a hot toddy. No booze but fresh lemon, honey and mint. I once heard about cow chip tea! OMG I am glad there were no cows in La Boca! I still hope that was a joke! Her list of remedies was long and I thought she was nuts! Again...little did I know!

At least once a year for her birthday or Mothers Day I would collect flowers from the Ylang Ylang tree down the street and make perfume for her. Now, I was no expert, but I was positive I was making her the best perfume...EVER. But, I did wonder why I would find it hidden way back in her dresser drawer months later. Why was I in her dresser drawers? That's another story! But she never let on and claimed to love my gifts from nature. All these years later my favorite thing about discovering Young Living and their essential oils is rediscovering Ylang Ylang. The scent takes me back to my Panama and La Boca, the best playground in the world.

So, my journey has naturally led me to Young Living and using natural products in my home. Not just for me, but my whole family. I am more like Mom than I expected. We both wanted only the best for those we love. But now I know she wasn't nuts...but wise to use the tools given to us in our fight for wellness.

My goal is to lead my kids, my grands, my friends...new and old on the same path, and to teach them what I have learned along the way. I will be here to share my experiences and knowledge whenever they are ready...or you are ready.

Thanks Mom...this one's for you!