Do what you love...

After my first time giving a massage to a pregnant woman (in massage school), I knew that I wanted to specialize in prenatal massage. Up until that point, I wasn't quite sure about where I wanted to take my massage career. I have so much compassion and love for pregnant women. So much so, I would offer my services for free to pregnant women if I was financially set. I'm pretty sure my partiality comes from my dreadful experiences of being pregnant. I had no one there to rub my back or show care and concern when I was expecting. And emotionally...I was a mess! I can remember my first pregnant client...she was about 7 months pregnant with a very calm demeanor but her face revealed that she had so much on her mind. I instantly sympathized with her although she didn't say too many words. I could just feel what she needed...a nice relaxing massage that would bring her comfort and peace in the midst of a chaotic thing we call LIFE! I always felt nervous before every massage that I performed in school but for some reason my mind, body, and spirit were at ease while working on this woman (which is surprising since nobody in my class felt comfortable doing a prenatal massage). I guess I was confident because I was an expert on being pregnant and knew exactly how this client felt...I had no reason to be nervous! I just kept thinking, "what if this woman is dealing with the same circumstances that I once faced...what if she has no one who will comfort her and rub her back?" Needless to say, when imagining her as I once was, my heart melted. Putting myself in her shoes was effortless and the compassion I felt for her overflowed. Even if she had not been in my same situation and she had a perfectly loving husband that catered to her every need, there was no way he could possibly know how it felt to be carrying a baby. I, on the other hand, knew all too well what is was like and believed it was my duty to do what I could to help. It was then that I realized prenatal massage would be my "thing" and I'm working to make sure my dream becomes a reality.

Gotta Love Mother Nature!

Today was an interesting day...to say the least! Some of my co-workers and I went to Turkey Creek in Niceville, FL for what was suppose to be a fun and relaxing time. Let's just say that things didn't go as planned. It was one disaster after another as we walked a mile on a path with tubes so that we could float down the creek. I'm still trying to decide which was more unexpected...the hysterics of one of my co-workers, or the thunderstorm that started as soon as we got into the water. I think I felt almost every emotion possible during this little adventure. One minute I was laughing as hard as I could, and the next minute I was terrified that one of us would get hurt. I'm pretty sure I was too scared and concerned about everyone else to even think about myself, and any chance of relaxation was out of the question. But I can appreciate the thunder, lightning, pouring rain, screaming, laughing, teamwork, and the fact that we all survived. It turned an experience I probably would've only vaguely remembered years from now into a day I will vividly remember and laugh about for the rest of my life!