find a chiropractor – Page 4 – We Only Get One Chance

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.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdDfnk2H9G0[/youtube]

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.

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.

ADDICTION

I have uncovered an intense addiction I had no idea about.

Ten months ago, I began a new and different journey with my health. Many of the “healthy” things I was doing, especially where my diet was concerned, weren’t the most complete choices I could be making. Unbeknownst to me, I was chronically depleting my body of a few key nutrients that eventually led to disfunction of certain organ systems. Good news, it was all fixable and 70% of that has been taken care of by diet change and a tailored plan of supplementation.

There still remains a few nagging small concerns and 2 of them fall on the “autoimmune” spectrum.

I have been working closely with a nutritionist on this path and have come to the conclusion that going “gluten-free” was a necessity and so 10 weeks ago, I began my gluten-free journey.

I knew it was going to be a little challenging, however I have succeeded in completing harder tasks in my life, or at least that is what I thought when I got started.

Living in a small town is a challenge in and of itself due to the simple fact that there aren’t many resources. Fortunately for Fenton, there are 2 really great health food stores right in town and one of them tailors their entire store to the gluten-free popluation.

Day 1 of my new life was simple. I was highly aware of the shift I was making and so there was a lot on my mind, lets just say I was obsessing about food.

Day 2 started and ended pretty easily and the change appeared to be progressing smoothly.

Day 3…not so much. It turns out that I fall into a category of people that are “addicted” to gluten. When I sat back and watched what was coming up for me as well as discussions with my nutritionist, I became keenly aware that about every 3 days, I need a “gluten fix”. I needed something to spike my sugars and give me that endorphin kick.

So I pressed on and for the next 4-5 days, it was an hour by hour choice to not eat anything containing gluten. Of course, because I was so focused on getting over the hump with this process, all I could think about was eating gluten. As the days ticked by, I watched as my body’s cravings decreased little by little.

Three weeks into this process, a mourning phase set in. I remember driving home from the gym and passing by Uncle Ray’s Dairyland and becoming overwhelmingly sad because I was never going to be able to eat cookie dough ice cream ever again in my life. Do you know how much cookie dough ice cream I have eaten in the past decade? Maybe one serving. It is not something that I have on a regular basis, however in that moment, that was really sad to me.

Over the next couple weeks I came to terms with WHAT I EAT and WHAT I DO NO’T EAT and it is as simple as that. I stay strict and do not allow for little slip-ups. With gluten, and especially when dealing with gluten addiction, it is not something you can have “here and there” or “once in a while”. For me, I have to remain clean and clear of it altogether.

Today it has officially been 10 full weeks. When I first started, I thought it would be a bit challenging. In retrospect, I have to say it has been one of the hardest things I have done, but now that I am here on the other side, I am happy, healthier and will keep my life free and clear of gluten.

I have never dealt with an addiction before in my life and though this is to a mildly noxious substance, I have a bit more compassion to those who deal with addiction of any sort on a daily basis. It seems as I go through life, I am presented with lessons that do exactly that, build more compassion. I also believe that being compassionate is one of the keys to living a happy, healthy and well-rounded life…or at least I hope so. Thank you for this lesson, Universe!!

THE RULES OF IMPROVISATION

I recently finished a light-hearted book by Tina Fey called “Bossypants”. She is hilarious and her book was a nice break from the “heavy” reading I usually do. Tina really struck me with her section on “The Rules of Improvisation” and as I was reading one evening in the sauna, I thought how applicable these rules are to living an extraordinary life. I wanted to share.

RULE #1: AGREE. SAY “YES!” In improv, when someone starts off on a topic, the next person has to start by agreeing with them. If they say their fingers are a gun, the next person has to agree otherwise the scene is dead in the water. How often do you find yourself saying “no”, whether it be to an invitation, an idea or just finding yourself disagreeing with a concept and shutting everything down?

Just recently, I had an invite to situation that was completely unknown. If I would have tapped into my logical mind, I could have come up with loads of reasons why I shouldn’t go. A friend once said, “I am willing to try just about anything as long as it doesn’t end me in jail, I don’t end up with a permanent scar and it doesn’t hurt my credit score.” I have adopted this within reason and choose to say ‘YES” whenever I can and often find myself experiencing some really incredible things.

RULE #2: Say “YES and…” meaning agree and say “YES” first, but then offer something as a contribution. An example in improv that she uses is, “Man, it is hot in here!!!” “Well what did you expect it would be like inside a dog’s mouth?!?!” and then scene continues.

Get involved in making the plans in life. Get involved in the conversations you are having on a daily basis. What you have to contribute is worthwhile. Sometimes even if you disagree with what is presented, using the word “and” is a great transition to something that may open up the doors for all parties involved. “Yes, and….” feels very different and more inviting than “Yes, but…”

RULE #3: MAKE STATEMENTS. Questions are good in certain scenarios, however when you make bold, confident statements in life, things start shifting. “Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.”

“Everything in life is figureoutable” -Marie Forleo

Start offering options and ideas instead of allowing someone else to always lead the pack towards a solution. I absolutely love hanging out with some of my good friends and having brainstorming sessions. I have my fair share of challenges that come up in everyday life. I will present it to a couple friends and then the conversation is sparked allowing for all kinds of different solutions to surface and life takes a step forward.

RULE #4: THERE ARE NO MISTAKES – ONLY OPPORTUNITIES. In improv, if a scene starts one way but is interpreted another, it is an opportunity to go in a different direction and everyone involved needs to pick up the ball and start running.

Life is the same way. We can plan, forecast and predict what will happen in life, however we have all been thrown a curveball as soon as we think we have something figured out. For me, I do not know one thing that could describe life better than finding myself in “beautiful happy accidents” that have led me down some really great paths in directions I couldn’t have even fathomed. Along the course of my life, I have learned that I better quit pushing and I better start surrendering to the path I am on and letting go of where I think I should be. When I do more of that, life is easier.

The rules of improvisation are 4 very simple rules that, when put together, can lead to a seriously fun life! I want to challenge you to start every morning with a “Yes, and” attitude, contribute to what is happening around you, be part of the solution and trust that there really are no mistakes. Those “beautiful happy accidents” that Tina talks about are where the juice of life is!! Make the best of it…we only get one chance.

CELEBRATE

It was right around this time in 1996, while attending Michigan State University, that I woke up at 2AM and decided I was going to be a chiropractor and went right back to sleep. I never turned back and now we will celebrate because of that.

Fast forward through 6 years of undergraduate school and I finally enter Life University College of Chiropractic. Four intense years later I graduate with my doctorate and find my way back to Fenton.

My original plan was to open my office in Ann Arbor which changed when I realized how difficult parking is in the downtown area. My second plan was to open the Café of LIFE in Birmingham, where my family is originally from and still stands Peabody’s Restaurant.

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I was living in Fenton with my mom and step-dad so I was driving around this area a lot. I always had my eyes open and one day a really cute little place came up for sale that got me thinking of potentially opening my doors here instead.

I brought the idea to my mom and she said “If the names French Laundry and Fenton Hotel can make it as restaurants, a Café of LIFE can make it as a chiropractic office.”

I wasn’t set on Fenton as being my landing place and so my HIGHEST priority when searching for office space was a 1 year lease (most commercial spaces require at least 3 years).

I settled on a space on Trealout Dr. and opened my doors 9 years ago on March 12th…and the rest truly is history.

I had no idea when I moved home that I would still be here 9 years later. I had no idea how much fun I was going to have being a chiropractor. I had no idea how many families I would become part of. I had no idea I would get to serve so many babies and chldren. I had no idea I would enjoy giving back to the community I grew up in so much. I had no idea I would find such amazing support here in this small town. I had no idea I loved Fenton so much.

But I do, and so here I am.

If you are reading this blog post, I am very grateful that our paths have crossed. I am so grateful you have allowed me to be part of your family, your life and your healthcare team. Thank you for spreading the word about chiropractic and about the Café of LIFE. I get choked up when I have a moment to think about how blessed I am to be part of your life. It is my pleasure to be your chiropractor.

I also have to say thank you to my amazing staff. We have seen some faces come and go, and even when they go, they don’t go far. A HUGE THANK YOU to the beautiful Alyssa that is currently manning this ship and keeping us all in line. Also THANK YOU to Teri who is our little engine that just keeps giving and loving and serving after all these years. THANK YOU to Rachael and Kel Leigh as they round out my incredible team. We wouldn’t be the Café of LIFE you all know today without these amazing ladies.

One last THANK YOU to all of you for sending your friends and loved ones our way! We are looking forward to serving all of you for many years to come!

Truly, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for allowing me to serve you.

NOW LET’S EAT CAKE!!! Join us for your adjustments and stay and celebrate with a piece of cake 7:30a-10a & 3p-6p on Wednesday, March 12th!!!