Fenton chiropractor – Page 13 – We Only Get One Chance

GET BUSY ENJOYING LIFE

As the seasons tick by and we head into this beautiful Michigan fall, I want to remind you that we all need to get busy enjoying life. It is going so fast!!

I recently came across this powerful writing and I wanted to share it with you as it seems to fit the mood perfectly.

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

by IRMA BOMBECK (on her death bed from a terminal illness)

” I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for a day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light the fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.” There would have been more “I love you’s.” More “I’m sorry’s.”

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it…live it and never give it back. Stop sweating the small stuff.

Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more, or who’s doing what.

Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Let’s think about what God HAS blessed us with. And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally. I hope you all have a blessed day.”

There are some fun things, some simple things and some things to really think about in that list above. What an awesome time to bring to our awareness to how sweet and simple life really is.

With such a beautiful week, it is easy to want to get outside and enjoy the days. Even when it is cold, gray and yucky out, we can still find a little bit of sweetness inside of each day. Let’s all get busy enjoying life!

PAY IT FORWARD

We have one of the greatest “Pay it Forward” campaigns going on in and around my town but spreading far and wide.

Nash Schupbach lived a way too short 5 months. The grief and pain of losing a child is, as everyone can imagine, incomprehensible. A very sweet family here in town has had to endure the loss of their sweet smiling little bundle of joy. Shelly, Nash’s mom, has a blog (caffreshe.wordpress.com) that she has been gracefully sharing her story. Not many would have the strength to share the details of such an event. I commend her for talking about something that people do not talk about. I have been following them throughout their journey. Todd, Nash’s dad, is one of my youngest brother’s best friends. Though I do not know Todd and Shelly well, this story is a little too close for comfort.

What this family has done with their grief is absolutely astounding. They have taken their long tear-filled days and exchanged them for heading out into the community to spread random acts of kindness. I think it was just a day or 2 following the funeral, Shelly went out into the streets of our precious town and stopped people to give them flowers and other small things just Fenton Chiropractor Nash Day August to spread smiles around.

These small gestures of kindness caught on like wildfire and newspapers, television and other media picked up and shared their story.

“What we give, we get.”

This did not put an end to the grieving of their sweet little boy, but it gave a new purpose and increased awareness in and around our little community…and has spread to different parts of the country and trickled out around the world. We are lucky to have these kinds of people in our community.

Nash was born on the January 9th of this year. They have made the 9th of each month a day for random acts of kindness. I just love that idea and am hoping after you read this, you think of the 9th a little more sweetly.

“Have a Nash Day!!” is a line that has caught up with this movement. To have a “Nash Day” means to spread a smile a little further than what you would usually do and smile a little bit more yourself. It means to go out of your way to make a loved one or a stranger smile; someone already in your life or someone you simply pass on the street.

One month ago, I was at Machu Picchu on this day. I was traveling with one of my team members that I served with on my Chiropractic Mission Trip to Peru (clicking RIGHT HERE will take you to a slideshow of the trip) I was trying to figure out how to do a complete random act of kindness but I also don’t speak the language (so many different nationalities visit Machu Picchu) and couldn’t come up with how to express the story to a stranger. So I bought a bus ticket for my teammate, Dr. John for Nash Day in August and added a smile to his day.

Today, as I am writing this, we are having a Nash Day at my chiropractic office Cafe of LIFE. For the first 20 people that come in for their adjustments today, we are doing scratch-off tickets from the Michigan Lottery. Just for fun. Just because scratch-off tickets are fun and make people smile.

So get out there and Pay It Forward! Something big, something small, even just a smile and a free hug…spread a big of kindness into your day today and Have a Nash Day!!!

PICTURES

I have been home for a couple weeks now and am settled in from my chiropractic service trip to Peru. I have done my best to explain the experience in words as people have asked, however I think pictures tell the best stories. I have put together a slideshow with a little bit from each day of the trip. Just wanted to be able to share in this format so far.

I have spent the past few weeks digesting the trip and some of the life lessons that are involved in serving others in this capacity. I will be sharing more and more as the weeks go on.

The entire trip was filled with beautiful moments, scenery and connections…for now, please enjoy these pictures.

www.cafeoflifefenton.com

www.facebook.com/cafeoflifechiropractic

WELL ADJUSTED SCHOOL

I was on my way up to the top of a mountain with 2 other doctors when I was pulled from the car

to go serve in a school with 720 children. I am here to serve and will go where I am needed and

WOW!!! what awesome opportunities!!! Can you imagine a well adjusted school, much less a well

adjusted elementary school? What a concept, huh?

When the children see us with our tables, they do not know exactly what is going to happen,

but they can tell they are in for a treat. We were given the room above and the children

piled in and filled up the seats and each took their turn.

Chiropractor Fenton Michigan 10
I adjust a lot of children at the Cafe of LIFE and one of the things it really helps

with is when children are stuck on the “gas pedal” in their bodies. They run and

run and run and run, and are just being children. Some can become sometimes

difficult to manage and often times that is when they are stuck in “gas pedal” mode. Chiropractor Fenton Michigan 13

Chiropractic care helps get off the “gas pedal” and apply some brakes. Getting adjustments helps them to find a better balance in their entire body thus improving their quality of life, as well as those around them. Chiropractor Fenton Michigan 15

This morning at the school, Dr. Austin and I were going to go it together. We adjusted non-stop for a couple hours and then as Dr. Haley was finishing with her community in the upper elevations, the driver dropped her off with us. I have to say we were relieved to have another set of hands willing to serve.

I would be interested to know how the afternoon at the school went after everyone got checked this morning…including the teachers!!! The concept of a well adjusted school seems like it would be a dream come true for the education system. Anywhere.

RAW

As I laid “boca abajo” or face down on the table to get my own spine checked this afternoon, my heart, which had swelled to triple its normal size today, burst wide open. My teammate noticed my tears and asked “are you alright?” The best I could describe to him was “I am just raw”.

I am not sure which was more significant to me today:
1) Being invited to set up an “office” on someone’s lawn and share space with their chickens.

2) The little boy who was being dragged by the arm to get adjusted, who refused but hung out for 3 hours and watched, and then finally got on the table completely open and ready to have his spine checked.
3) The Quechua village women who all got adjusted and then sat as the rest of the village showed up and helped them understand how to go about the process of getting their spines checked.
4) Checking and adjusting an infant dressed in layers of beautiful wool as he breastfed in his mother’s lap.
5) Serving side by side with one of the most incredible women I know.
6) Being stopped on the road and invited right into someone’s dirt floor home to set up our tables and serve their community because they caught wind that there were chiropractors in our car as we drove by.
7) The intense dirt road drive up this mountain along side 500 foot drop offs and not guard rails.
8) The beautiful travel nurse that understands chiropractic care and educates these communities when we show up. A special shout out to our driver that chose to carry our tables for us, take pictures and help the people understand what we were doing and how to participate.

9) The huge language barrier we were dealing with as neither of us speak Quechuan, but realizing a smile and laughter is a universal language.

10) The roaring laughter as these communities were lit up and a chance to be a small part of their lives.
We have documented our day well and without these pictures, you would never truly be able to grasp the extent of it all. Truly a blessing.
When serving like this, all the “stuff” is stripped away. The documentation, monetary exchange, health insurance coverage, the bills to run an office, the layers and layers of things that are required to run a successful office in the country where we live. And then when you no longer have language to communicate…it becomes raw. It is a deep look into beautiful stranger”s eyes, a soul to soul connection, a smile and the purest intention to give, love and serve from a deep, abundant well inside of me. It is the most beautiful thing I know of in this entire world.

PERU

I am not sure I have been more excited about a trip in years and years. You all know me, I travel a lot, so that is a pretty bold statement. Yes, I have been to some really incredible places in my life, some of those very recently, but when I tap into this place inside I have for this trip coming up, it bubbles over. I cannot wait to get to Peru.

A friend of mine called a few months back. She has been to Peru for the past few years and goes back every year to deliver chiropractic care, love and serve the people in the Sacred Valley. She says, “You know, you should come with my team this year.” I am beyond honored to even get an invite.

If you have followed this blog or know me at all, you know my core is absolutely driven by the desire to have “rich, rewarding experiences” in my lifetime. My answer was “Yes!”…and I began to work on making that happen.

Thursday this week marks the beginning of what I anticipate being an adventure of a lifetime!

I fly Detroit to Atlanta to Lima to Cuzco in a 19 hour travel day. I am chalking that up as part of the actual adventure, and truthfully that is probably the only way to get through it.

Fenton Chiropractor Peru — My Friend Adjusting a Child in a Past Year

We will be staying at high altitudes and serving at even higher, so the first few days will be time to acclimate and get situated as a team. We will be serving Monday-Friday next week. I will take a couple extra days to see Machu Picchu since it is quite close to there and then head back with another 20+ hour travel adventure to return to my home on the 12th.

As I stated before, I have done a tremendous amount of traveling, however, going some place to just be a tourist and visitor is completely different than integrating yourself into service mode in a community. Don’t get me wrong, on every trip I have been on since getting my license almost 10 years ago, I have done some adjusting. I even got paid in habanero hot sauce while helping some in Belize!!!

But this is different, very different. My friend refers to this trip as “dropping love bombs” (www.lovebombthemovie.com). I so look forward to being part of that.

I couldn’t do this without all the great people back here taking care of my practice and my home and making sure the gears keep turning while I am away. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I am grateful for my life. I am grateful for the opportunities that come my way and I am grateful for the support that gives me the confidence to seize such opportunities.

Stay tuned for posts from Peru!

2.5 YEARS

Some friendships bridge all concepts of time and space. I am sure you have someone like that in your life. It has been close to 2.5 years since I have seen one of my greatest friends, Lana. Time never seems to matter with us.

In June, we spent a beautiful long weekend in the Dominican Republic at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (if you happen to be heading that way, I highly recommend this spot).

The resort was amazing, the food was wonderful and, of course, the company I was with was the best part.

Life has twists and turns and many ups and downs. Sometimes managing our own lives at home can be enough, much less trying to stay closely connected with friends that are 3 time zones away. Lana and I do not get to actually talk much, but we hang with each other in spirit all the time.

We had 4 solid days of uninterrupted “girl time”; no homes to take care of, no kids to tend to, no practices to worry about…just time together. Absolutely priceless.

We talked about life and practice and family and challenges and books and nutrition and growth and men and helping others and health and workouts and friends and clothes and love and adventures and…and…and…

We had some great meals together. We had a 2 hour walk on the beach. We had some serious laughs. We had a blast. When Lana and I met, we knew we were kindred souls. As time has gone by, it is apparent we have always been connected in some form. We think alike, ride the same wavelength and our lives have run parallel learning a lot of the same lessons at the same times.

Its friends like Lana (and there are a few others I connect with at this level, you know who you are) that make this life so much sweeter.

Did I mention that she earned this trip and had an extra spot for me to just go along for the ride? What a gift. Truly a gift and when I look at the generosity of a friend like that, I am grateful to tears.

I am hoping that our next time together isn’t 2.5 years from now, I am pretty confident it will be sooner than that. Though she lives in wine country in Northern California, I feel her support by my side on a daily basis. Thank you my dear friend. Thank you.

FOLLOWING MY BLISS

I am a rule-follower. I was born that way. I have always had a keen sense of what was right and wrong and always chose the former. Over the years I have also learned that some really great experiences come from following my bliss.

I had an incredible day this past Sunday. The best part was riding bikes in downtown Detroit. I have grown to really love that city. It has come a long way and still has a long way to go, but if you haven’t been down there lately, make it a point to spend an afternoon right downtown.

As my friend and I were riding bikes, there was this constant “hum” in the background of the city. After a bit, we realized it was coming from the Chevrolet Grand Prix that was happening on Belle Isle that day. Curiosity was piqued and we headed that direction.

Fenton Chiropractor Grand Prix

Mobs of people, buses and police cars clogged up the streets on Belle Isle and so it was perfect to be riding a pedal bike and we gained quick access to the area.

I have never understood the draw to auto racing. It always just seemed like cars endlessly going around in circles. I began to slightly understand it when I first started checking and adjusting some race car drivers in my chiropractic office, Cafe of LIFE. The intense stress their bodies are in during those races, for an extended period of time, in that position…I am not sure you can compare it to any other sport. Chiropractic care has helped these gentleman as they chase their passion of going faster than the rest.

As I approached the track, I could tell that without having a ticket, we were going to have limited viewing capability. We pulled our bikes into a parking lot and I began scanning the area for the best spot. As I got closer and closer to the track, it was absolutely amazing how fast these cars were going. I have never seen anything like it. And then to think there are guys in those cars, making split second decisions for hours at a time…it truly was incredible.

I found a small utility pole that was close to the fence and was the perfect size for 2 size 8.5 feet to stand on comfortably. It was about 2.5 feet off the ground so it gave me clear view of the track and was about 20 feet away from where the cars were driving. I had a really great view.

My “rule-following” mind said, that is not an okay thing to stand on…who knows what it actually is…it could break…I am sure someone will tell me to get down.

But I got up there anyway and, with my fingers in my ears to block out some of the intense noise, I stood and enjoyed a bit of the Grand Prix race.

Down the way I could see an ATV with some policemen heading my direction. I was pretty convinced they were coming over to tell me to get down. As I watched them approach, I was thinking that if I don’t actually make eye contact with them, they may just pass me by.

Fenton Chiropractor Grand Prix 1

I could feel them approach. I pretended they weren’t there. I could sense them bring their vehicle to a stop and I acted as though I had no idea and because my fingers were in my ears, I could also pretend that I couldn’t hear whatever requests they were giving me. I was enjoying the race from my perch and I really didn’t want to get down.

It got to a point when I could no longer ignore them sitting there behind me. I had to turn around as I was approaching the amount of time that “ignorance” turns to just plain “rudeness” by not acknowledging them. I knew my fun was over.

I turned around and smiled at the officers and to my surprise…they were trying to get my attention to be able to hand me a SET OF EARPLUGS!!!!I

I was shocked and so thankful. And then I started laughing at myself and my internal dialogue that led up to that moment. I know better than to make assumptions. I was creating anxiety inside of myself because of that assumption, which also led to beliefs that were not true.

Now…by no means am I encouraging you to participate in delinquent behavior, stand on utility poles or disobey any rules. I do want to encourage you to attend the Grand Prix the “right” way and purchase a ticket. Above all that, I want to encourage you to follow your bliss. Have more fun with your day to day stuff and seek out adventures.

As I look back, I consider that day one of my most favorite days of this year so far. It wasn’t filled with exciting things, it was just a day of hanging with a friend, riding bikes, no obligations and chance to go on an adventure following my bliss.

A SMILE

Never underestimate the power of a smile.

Did you wake up smiling today? Have you smiled yet? Why? How many times? At who? In what setting?

I am realizing as time ticks by, and the wrinkles start to set into my face, the most noticeable ones are my smile lines and I am pretty alright with that.

“A smile is the shortest distance between two people.”

Fenton Chiropractor Smile — Scott and Danielle 2012

A smile stands for connection, joy, hope, happiness, love, compassion, peace and understanding. However, it can also portray nervousness, anxiety and uncertainty. The default expression that crosses my face for any and all of the above is a smile, hence by deep smile lines, often accompanied by giggles or uncontrollable laughter. That is just my style.

I see a lot of pregnant mothers in my chiropractic practice and I get to watch as they spend their first weeks together with their new babies. I think the first time the baby smiles is one of a new parent’s proudest moments. But once they start doing it, they usually do a lot of smiling. That is what we do as humans and it gets to a point that the initial excitement wears off a bit and smiles become a normal part of life, we begin to take that expression for granted.

The last blog post I wrote was about My First Best Friend and how my cousin’s husband suffered a brain bleed and we almost lost him. I shared a bit of their story and I wanted to do a quick update so that you know that he is alive and slowly recovering.

His recovery is being facilitated by his beautiful wife and today marks their 3rd wedding anniversary. They will spend the day in the hospital, as all the days of the past 6 weeks have been spent there. He is nowhere ready to move or be transported yet…and so he is there in his bed and sometimes in a chair…and she sits. She spends endless hours talking to him, encouraging him, doing small movement exercises with him, cheering him on as he responds to commands and just loving him. It is the essence of true love and is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

My life does not allow me to visit daily but I keep in touch and let her know I am supporting from a distance. Yesterday I got the following message from her:

“I finally got him to smile. It was the most wonderful thing I have ever seen…”

This message made me realize how much we take smiles from our loved ones for granted. We walk on by and maybe smile back, maybe even hold back a smile out of resentment or disdain. I never realized how important a smile was until that message yesterday.

There are so many hours of silence in that hospital room. In 6 weeks time, there are only so many one-sided conversations to be had, but that doesn’t stop her. She plays music for him and reads to him while he wakes up a bit and falls back to sleep.

Many people have sent cards, well-wishes and inspiration and one wall has a small collection that they review on a regular basis. It is one of the things that really stimulates him so I would like to make a simple request. If you are reading this, please take a blank piece of paper and write them a little encouragement and put it in an envelope and send it in the mail to:

Danielle and Scott Hawkins
C/O Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic
521 N. Leroy St.
Fenton, MI 48430

For the cost of a stamp (of course greeting cards are always welcome as well), we can hopefully collectively encourage these smiles and healing moments inside of him.

As I wrote in my Facebook status last week, to most of you, Danielle and Scott are perfect strangers. I promise, promise, promise that if you knew them, you would love them too.

Please send a smile to them, a little encouragement, a little love…and then spend a little more time in your smile mode today and in the future. The great thing about smiles is you will never run out. Spread them around!!! We only get one chance…

MY FIRST BEST FRIEND

I had no idea when I was born, that my first best friend was already here waiting for me.

My cousin, Danielle, is 6 weeks older than i am and we pretty much grew up attached at the hip any chance we got. Neither of us had sisters so we became that to each other.

My house was right next door to my grandparent’s home and so every time she visited them, which was quite often, I got to see her. We did everything together, from barbies to cabbage patch kids, from building sand castles to playing in tree forts, from blazing trails through the woods and carving trees to making

Fenton Chiropractor Best Friend up stories as we spent hours out playing in the apple orchard.

We talked about our hopes and dreams and made plans for our lives. I was always so jealous she got to go to Girl Scout Camp every summer…but she made up for it by teaching me all the songs she learned when she returned. In fact, that radio in my head that plays music non-stop sometimes gets locked on that channel and as a 30-something…those songs stuck on repeat are more annoying than cool.

To this day, we make time for each other. She is one of my biggest cheerleaders, and although she doesn’t allow many to cheer for her, I am one of hers. There seems to be a length of time, that if we go past too many days without having time to sit down and catch up with each other, we both go a little crazy and make time in our schedules right away.

I sent her a text message on Friday morning about how excited I was about going to the Water Hill Music Festival in Ann Arbor next weekend, and although I knew it was still another week away, I was stoked to have some time to hang out. I had just seen her 5 days prior as her and her husband, Scott, along with a group of my nearest and dearest, spent the evening celebrating my birthday at my home.

On Friday, she didn’t respond back to that text message right away and after a few minutes she called. She doesn’t ever call, we don’t need to talk on the phone, we already know what each other is usually thinking so text and email are our norm.

Her voice was cracking. She was seriously shakin’ up. Then she proceeded to tell me that Scott, her husband, had a brain hemorrhage and is in the hospital and asked if I could come up. I had a couple obligations that day and headed up as soon as i could.

I have spent the past 2 days with my heart breaking right along side her, and I feel like these days are just the beginning of a long road. She is one of the strongest and bravest that i know. She has had her share, plus some, of adversity and challenge in her life. She keeps her head up through all of it. She plugs away and she always comes out on top. She is one incredible woman and I know those who really know her feel lucky.

Her and her husband have the most beautiful love story, reconnecting after so many years and blending their family, his 2 kids and her 2 kids. They have a really sweet love that is palpable when you are around them. They perfectly compliment each other.

Right now she spends her moments sitting at his bedside, and only leaves to close her eyes and sleep on an uncomfortable pull-out/fold down chair thing a couple rooms away. She talks to him, dodges all the tubes and medical apparatus to kiss him, loves on him, plays music for him (he is a music man) and holds his hand for hours on end.

He has shown signs of improving. Will he come out of the state he is in? We don’t know. Will he return to the Scott we are used to? We don’t know that either. How long will it take? We all wish we knew that answer but we don’t know anything at this point.

What I do know, what I am sure of is that she will be ok. There are going to be moment to moment, hour to hour, and day to day ups and downs. She is the strongest and bravest that I know of. I will not be able to stand with her all the time during this process as I have obligations in my life I need to tend to, but I leave my heart with her when I am not there.

I am writing this blog from the rawest place in my being. My heart has been ripped out of my chest these past 2 days and i want to share this story because my family needs all the praying, meditating, affirmation-saying people we can get. I am sending out a request to all the troops to please help lift up my first best friend and her husband. They could really use your help right now. Peace.