8 peaceful habits

coconuts of peacefulness

I SPOKE as I poured Moroccan mint tea, steaming, into seven small glass teacups. “A doctor could prescribe coconuts if he wanted to . . . ” I let the words hang in the air.

banana prescriptions

photo: jetheriot

One great thing about medication prescriptions is that they're standardized. There's a blank where the doctor fills in the name of the patient, an empty space where he writes out how many pills to take and how many times a day to take them, and a blank where he signs his name. The symbols may seem strange, but they have precise meanings, and they communicate very specific instructions.

the magic wand & the long hard road

A doctor can treat a patient using either of two approaches: a “magic wand” approach or a “long hard road” approach.