I always hate getting the flu. I hope you get better, it's never much fun.

I always do giggle when people wonder why nobody has ever "cured" the flu. It's because thousands of "known" types of the flu exists.

The reason why that's so is Influenza is made up of RNA which is like DNA but not connected into a nice cool swirly looking ladder shape. RNA beings are not considered life while anything made up of DNA is. But just like DNA, RNA mutates meaning the letters (which are building blocks that make up its "blueprint") change randomly. One mutation might not do much but a good number of mutations over a considerable amount of "generations' can alter them greatly.

So just like in the computer world, one strand can totally devastate something while being immune in another.

One of the issues in the healthcare field of pharmaceuticals is when someone creates a vaccine or anti-biotic, etc. and this kind of generates a selection of these mutations. Meaning if any of these flu strands (or any kind of sickness example) have mutated to be unaffected by the "cure" then they'll survive and reproduce and this leads to countless "generations" of new ones that will be resistant to the "cure" until it's no longer a cure. Instead of all strands of the same batch surviving at random levels and giving back genes that are for the most part not going to help them survive a "cure".

Which is one of the reasons some doctors try not to resort to antibiotics if the condition is not that bad. Before the 20th century, mankind was almost hit by some kind of awful disease in some part of the world every blue moon. When penicillin first came out it was something that seemed to be a super-miracle. But imagine a world where there is one, two, or even handfuls of diseases that antibiotics or vaccines can't touch? That's a very scary thought.

So in short, we'll never be rid of the flu, but at least society seems to be able to avoid massive epidemics that were once common-place even in the richest nations of their respected times.

Amen! How wonderful to know that we are the Lord's.

Very encouraging and challenging post! Thanks for sharing :)

you always write with such passion and authenticity and beauty...it's such a joy to read, every time!

i enjoyed this entry as it was my first visit here and it told me a lot about who you are. i like personal entries, getting to know someone a little better through their words!!

your words are passionate, heartfelt, i like that!! many thanks for visiting me, i hope you are feeling better soon!!!

I love, I love, I love to read all your posts, my beautiful soul! May God protect you and bless you each day! Liuba x

Great reminder, Ashley! I recall the quote, "Don't kill time. It's killing you."
Never wasting a moment is an important lesson. I'm still working on it.

This also reminds me of something Aunt Esther always said, "Do all the good you can while you can, because you never know how soon it will be too late."

This summer I've been realizing how soon too late comes. Picasso said, "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone." And death isn't the only thing that makes it too late...situations change, people move, the unexpected happens.

Lord, help me to do your will each day. Help me to do all the good I can while I can, so I can leave this life without regrets.

Thanks for the thought-provoking post Ashley!