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Our featured interviewee Judith Rausch was born and reared in Atlanta, Georgia. She married her teenage sweetheart 53 years ago. They met when Judith was 9! The couple had their first child in Washington, DC, where Robert and she graduated college. Their second child was born in California where Robert graduated from Medical School. The family lived in Louisiana for a few years, moved to Nashville, TN where Robert finished his radiology residency at Vanderbilt; before finally settling into their home town Florence, AL.
Over the years Dr. Rausch has worked in many areas of nursing including private duty before there was intensive care. She has worked as a psychiatric nurse at Patton State Psychiatric Hospital in California, which had 5,000 patients. In 1991 Dr. Rausch retired from UNA’s College of Nursing Faculty. Personal health problems and those of her family and community inspired her to become a Doctor of Public Health. Her area of specialty lies in Health Promotion and Health Behavior. Rausch operates her private practice by appointment in Florence, AL.
Years ago Dr Rausch earned far more money in California, New Orleans and Nashville, for modeling rather than nursing. She recently signed with an agency in Nashville to model again. Her daughter Kelli and son Rob are both married. Dr Rausch has 7 grandchildren and just welcomed their 8th ‘grandchild,’ who joined the family as the wife of their oldest grandson. Her husband, Robert is semi retired and they spend their time on their land, on the road or in the air. The couple enjoys cavorting their acreage on Cypress Creek with all their children and travel often with and without the children.
Garden Spices interviewed Judith on Tuesday, September 30th 2014 @ 10:00 AM
Pratik Mamtora for GS: How are you doing today, Dr Rausch? Judith Rausch: I am doing fine. I am trying to extricate myself from a lot of details of travel and Fall coming along. It is a beautiful day.
GS: Yes, this is a nice day here in Chicago as well. The leaves are turning and everything is just Autumn ready. I look at it as the season for renewal because everything changes. It is beautiful. Rausch: We just saw Tuesdays With Morrie – a stage production. There are these lines that I am repeating, “The leaves are the most beautiful in Fall right before they are about to die.”
GS: That is wonderful… Well let’s begin with this interview. Define ‘Light’ for us. Rausch: Light is life. Light is love. It is comfort and safety.
GS: What has been your life’s greatest joy? Rausch: My children coming into this world and watching them grow. And then the grandchildren following them. My husband and I speak of the memories constantly all the time. Their current happenings and the kids’ events.
GS: I’m sure you feel time flies, especially, these days it is faster and faster… Rausch: Yes, and the children are like plants that grow faster and faster. They develop in all sorts of different ways producing all sorts of different things.
GS: Do you have any great regrets or sorrows in your life as well? Rausch: Yes… I think sorrow is what brings us into the light. Mine began in childhood but I discovered light as a child. I learned to let go of the sorrow. There was a happening in my life as an adult where my daughter, Kelli, had cancer. She also had a 5 month old baby at the time. One day I found her on the porch with tears running down her cheek. She had long gorgeous golden blonde hair. I put my arms around her body and she said, “No,” shaking her head. She got to trust me and I told her I will help you get through this. That was probably the darkest period I have had in my life. My daughter thankfully chose to turn this very dark pit over to the light. This event also pulled my family closer together.
GS: Do you feel there are parts that still need to be healed? Rausch: Healing is continuous especially after a loss… But I have a huge amount of gratefulness for my daughter’s survival, for her ministry, and her continued motherhood. Kelli has no medical reasons to be walking around yet she had two more babies. She had radiation and every kind of chemo and was too far gone. But to know her you would never know anything happened to her. My daughter is the light of our life. Now, Kelli will call to invite us over for a party or a camp fire. My regrets and sorrows are buried with joy and happiness. I admire the life my daughter lives.
GS: I learnt from Facebook that your favourite quote is – “Let go.” Throw some light on your understanding of it. Rausch: Sometimes we grasp, hold on, and keep hammering to block the light. When we choose to live in darkness we are turning away from the light. Letting go is surrendering to the light. And when the light streams in, it allows all this cosmic forces to be wonderful. Energies that permeate our very breath, grow us and take care of us. Light allows to wash out the darkness from all of us.
Jiro Murai
GS: Speaking of energies, tell us more about your practice with Jin Shin Jyutsu. Rausch: Jin Shin Jyutsu translated is the art of the creator through man of knowing and compassion. This little Japanese guy, Jiro Murai, died in his mid-fifties, but when he was in his early twenties he was dying from a very foolish lifestyle. His father was a Western physician and his older brother was a Western physician. Jin Shin ended up being terminally ill and asked the family to leave him on the mountains. This is where he had visions of ancient Japanese sages who practiced the art of releasing tension from the body. This is when Murai dedicated his life to learning more about it. He shared this gift with Mary Burmeister who brought this art to the America in the 50s.
GS: Tell us more about this form of medicine. Rausch: There are three forms of energy flow that I refer as the trinity. The first is the main central flow of our body which is like an egg that comes up in front and goes down below. Then second is the right and the left supervisory flow. Each side of the body has 26 distinct points that are called safety energy locks. The third flow is called the diagonal mediator flow. It starts in the lower part of the neck and goes around in circles. Although I don’t follow organized religion I find the 3 energy flows are very similar to the Trinity in Christianity. This physiotherapy helps emotionally, physically and spiritually. Unblocking the energy fields takes us into the light. It wraps us in the light. When I work on clients I see them radiating, glowing and they feel great. Some of them have even called me “Wonder Woman”. But I remind them I am merely using my hands as jumper cables to align the energies and it is their body taking care of them.
GS: This is really fascinating… Rausch: Yes, indeed it is.
GS: What has been your greatest accomplishment? Rausch: Oh, raising my children and grandchildren. Having the honor to be called Mother and Grandmother. To have them call me Mom is undoubtedly my greatest accomplishment. I have a 19 year old grandchild who has down syndrome but she is such a light. She reads and writes and is very bright. She came up to me yesterday and told me she has a boyfriend. I exclaimed, “Really?” Her boyfriend said she is beautiful, she is hot and sassy. [Laughs] And I said to her, “Boy he really does know you.”
GS: What is your biggest fear? Rausch: I worry one of my kids may take a path that will take them away from the light. Right now it all looks good. They know who they are. My greatest fear is the worldwide sleepwalking, slugging through the darkness of materialism, creating international criminals and inhumane actions to all things living in all sectors of society in every country… destroying our home, this Earth. I pray in thanksgiving for the increase in consciousness currently taking place worldwide. And I pray for a great turning toward the light, especially, before we destroy this planet, our home.
GS: What would be your biggest failure? Rausch: Not disposing myself to one thing. I am so interested in everything that moves. There is great information in everything and it always keeps me on my toes.
Rausch with her husband Robert
GS: You have been a Mother, a Grandmother, a wife, perhaps… a sister, a friend… What is your most favourite role? Rausch: At first I was a nurse. I gave bedside care and loved doing that. I have had some hair raising experiences as well, which if I told my grandchildren, they would never believe me. Then I moved to psych nursing, shock treatment, recovery room, evening chart nurse in intensive care. I have done a lot of modelling while I was in California. I have modelled in New Orleans, Nashville, and done Holiday catalogs. I have been a University professor and retired from that. I loved doing research and my research has been presented in Israel, England, American Public Health Association and various Universities in the States. I have been in publishing, writing and state-wide study in Alabama involving Health Education. Nowadays, I enjoying playing the role within my immediate family of 14.
GS: That is really impressive! I come from a large family so I know the joys it brings. There is so much love that goes around. I also hear that you are a vegetarian? Rausch: I have been a vegetarian since I was 14. It is very difficult especially living in this part of the country. But I focus on whole foods such as lentils and brown rice.
GS: The word on the street is that you are a former beauty pageant title holder…Is is true? Rausch: No, I was never into competitions or sororities for a matter of fact. I have been featured on Magazines and was voted one of NO’Ala Magazines’ Shoals Most Beautiful People.
GS: Who are your heroes/sheroes… your role models and people you look up to? Rausch: One of our neighbour friends became a pediatrician at the age of 20. To see Dr. Pittman give oxygen to premature babies and breathe life into them was very admirable. She would definitely be one of my role models And my daughter, Kelli, is one of my heroes. She has been so resilient with what she had to go through She embodies light that shines through her challenges battling with cancer.
GS: What book is by your bedside? Rausch: The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A Singer. The one that I have been carrying around is The Lost Language of Plants by Stephen Harrod Buhner. ‘The Taste of Wild Water’ is the first chapter in this latter book. Buhner covers all of life in explaining how we’ve arrived and where we find ourselves now.
GS: The most helpful book you have read so far… Rausch: Earth And Man by Karl König and Cosmos, Earth and Nutrition: The Biodynamic Approach to Agriculture by Richard Thornton Smith
GS: Books that you have re-read the most. Rausch: Living Deeply by Marilyn Mandala Schlitz, Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor
GS: The reason we ask what books you’ve read is to give readers titles they may not have stumbled upon yet. I’m personally intrigued and I want to read some of these books that you have mentioned. Finally, is there a message you would like to go out to our Garden Spices readers? Rausch: To reflect the light of the source. Find a way to rekindle your hope. Open you humble and gentle heart through your soul. You are light. You are the future. The future of all humanity. Walk the passage into the light. The growing realization of human decency, the creator and all his creations. The quality of our life decides the quality of our life.
GS: Thank you so much for giving us an opportunity. We are grateful for your time and appreciate you sharing your story with us. Rausch: It was my pleasure! I am happy I was able to do this. Thank you Pratik.
Interviewed by Pratik Mamtora, Managing Editor
Pratik Mamtora was born & raised in India. He has lived in London, United Kingdom for three years & absolutely loved it there. Pratik has a Bachelor’s in English from India and Master’s (ABD) from UNA. He loves to read and write, especially poetry. Pratik enjoys coffee & conversation and is passionate about serving the community. He invests himself in understanding the needs of the modern world and the evolving spirituality within. Pratik is known to walk that extra mile to make others happy. If you ever meet… or when you meet him, Pratik will make you smile.