Author: Dr. Erica Peabody

Fenton, MI is a great place to be from and to move back to. Serving this community the "Exceptional Chiropractic Experience" at Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic is my favorite way to spend my days. Cafe of LIFE (www.cafeoflifefenton.com) is a Family Wellness Chiropractic Center located in the heart of this great little town. When I am not at my chiropractic practice, you will find me at the yoga studio, the gym, in my running shoes, with my family, on my snowboard, on my mountain bike, surfing, on the lake or some local restaurant or hiking trail. My ultimate goal and life purpose is to make a small difference in this crazy world...and have some fun while I am doing it.

MANEUVERING THIS LIFE

Yesterday I found myself pulling up to a stop sign behind a “Student Driver” car.  I happened to be driving behind her (yes I could tell it was a female) and realized it when there were no cars coming either direction but the car didn’t move.  Of course with how busy life is these days, it seems like our minds cannot just sit and be delayed even one second without questioning the motives of the person in front of us…and that is when I spotted the signage on the car.

I had a quick flashback to that first day of driver’s education class and I started to wonder what that class would be like these days.  My curiosity got the best of me and so I followed (notice I didn’t say tailgated) this driver for a couple miles.  It happened to be on my direct route to my next errand so please do not think I was stalking this new student driver…but I guess in a way, I was.  I could have gone around her at any moment however I soon realized that it was better to be behind her than anywhere else!!! 

She swerved between the lines that marked the road.  She went to get on the highway, which was a right turn, and put her left blinker on then caught herself and switched it.  Because she was focused so much on the blinker, she completely forgot about the brake pedal and took that turn at a rate of speed I would have been afraid for my life.  Then it was the merge into traffic that almost didn’t happen, 50 max speed on the highway swerving inside the lane lines, hitting some rumble strips, taking an exit at a similarly alarming speed as the first turn I witnessed, and slamming on the brakes to the stop sign.  I then saw the instructor reach over and grab the wheel as they headed into another turn…God bless those driving instructors…and God bless the runner that was on the side of the road she was about to encounter. 

I was astounded that they are allowed to be behind the wheel with such little skill, but that is coming from a girl that was raised on an apple orchard and learned to drive before my 10th birthday…and when it comes down to it, everyone has to start somewhere. 

This young driver can teach us so much about maneuvering life!!!  Slow life down at the stops and enjoy the scenery for a moment.  When you think you are turning left, maybe life wants you to turn right and take things at “inappropriate” speeds.  Merging into the flow of what everyone else is doing is sometimes necessary, but take things at your own speed.  There are lines drawn for us, but remember that sometimes fun happens outside the lines and the rumble strips make a fun noise and brings us back to being a child.  Sometimes exiting a situation at high speeds is necessary and stopping abruptly saves us.  In the end, it is often nice to have some guidance from someone who has more experience than us and we never know who is watching us and learning from our mistakes.

We only get one chance in this lifetime…I want to thank this young driver for teaching me so much over those 2 short miles! 

 

THE FIRST OF 19

Over the past week, my family and I have been mourning the loss of my aunt.  Have I told you that my Mom is one of ten kids and my Dad is one of nine?  So to say I come from a HUGE family is a slight understatement.  My Aunt Lisa was the youngest of my Mom’s siblings and she is also the very youngest of all 19 of them.  She died of a heart attack and it was shock to the entire family and everyone in her life at a mere 50 years of age. 

Being from such a large family, when tragic things happen, everyone pulls together.  We spent 4 full days together talking about the incident, her life, her contributions and where the family will go from here.  The conversations were sprinkled with bouts of crying and fits of laughter.  We are not short of comedians in our family and the mixture of the humor and the sadness does an interesting thing to the physiology and helps things to process.  I am sure you have found yourself in an intense moment that was interrupted by a shift created from laughter. 

I learned a lot from sitting around and listening to the stories that were shared.  Two important lessons have surfaced from it all that I wanted to share with you. 

LESSON #1 :  SHOW UP!  My Aunt Gail, one of Lisa’s sisters said one of the things that came to mind when she thought about Lisa was that “She showed up.”  It is so true…whenever there was something going on, or someone needed something, Lisa showed up.  She showed up for family functions and parties.  She showed up for her husband and 3 children.  She showed up for her own friends and friends of her children.  She showed up for the family.  She showed up at work and for her co-workers.  She showed up.  This concept makes me look at my life and ask the question…”Am I showing up?”  And furthermore, “How am I showing up?”  and “Am I giving it 100%?”

LESSON #2:  PLAY FULL OUT!   If life was a game, Aunt Lisa played full out.  She always had a good time.  She celebrated a lot and was usually in the middle of any conversation that was happening.  If she didn’t start the conversation but wanted to be in it…you would her her raspy voice say, slightly under her breath, “What are you guys talking about?”.  If she was around in the room, you probably could hear her laugh.  Somewhere in the Callard lineage there is a gene for loud laughter, and she expressed that gene strongly.  After the funeral on Monday, I heard someone say, “You know, she was only 50 when she passed, however she lived more in those 50 years than others do who live into their 80s or 90s.”  What a great awareness and awesome perspective to have on what seemed to be a life cut short. 

My first real memories of Aunt Lisa were when I would babysit for her children.  At the time, she happened to be living in the same subdivision where I currently live and though the house is no longer there, I have vivid memories of being there a lot.  Over the past few months I have spent quite a bit of time running the roads around my house, passing that location twice per run and of course, like I do a lot, thinking about life. 

With the sudden passing of Lisa last week, and her funeral just a couple days ago, along with my regular morning runs and thoughts about life, that particular location has new meaning to me.  I will forever hold it as a place during my runs where I turn inside and remember to SHOW UP everyday and in every way in my life and PLAY FULL OUT!  What better way to start the day than with reminders like that.  I haven’t dealt with much death up to this point in my life, and am of course dreading the idea of the other 18 passing, however there are always lessons to learn about LIFE from both living and dying…and for that, I am grateful.  Thank you Aunt Lisa for those very important lessons and may you rest peacefully.

 http://www.sharpfuneralhomes.com/_mgxroot/page_10756.php?id=1080386

 

 

FROM SEAT TO SEAT

One of my most favorite things to do is go to a comedy show and laugh.  There is so much that shifts in just a few minutes of good, wholesome laughter.  Last night, I was lucky enough to see Jerry Seinfeld live and of course laughed and laughed and laughed.  He is clever and so funny, and the literal person that I am, I really get a kick out of his humor.  He used his time to entertain the crowd however also used it to effectively deliver a couple LIVE AND LAUGH!messages about health which I was pleasantly surprised!

One thing that really caught my attention is he said something like “we spend our entire days going from one seat to another”.  He was talking about we get up out of bed and go and find breakfast and sit down.  Then we get up and get ready and go sit down in our cars.  We drive to work and then we sit down for the morning, get up to go sit back down at lunch, come back to sit back down at work for the afternoon, sit back in our cars to go home and sit down for dinner and spend the rest of our time sitting in front of the TV.  Have you ever thought about that?  He, of course, added in the joke of “no wonder we are building bigger and bigger seat cushions on our bodies!”

There seems to be a growing trend of jobs that require long, long hours in a seated position.  It is just how things are these days which is perfectly fine.  The challenge is that the body is designed, and happier and healthier, when it is in motion, when there is movement happening on a regular basis.  Unfortunately, the law of inertia states that “a body at rest, tends to stay at rest…”  If we sit all day, we tend to want to sit more, which leads to more and more and more…until life is a sedentary experience.

The other half of the inertia law states that “…a body in motion, tends to stay in motion”.  People often tell me that it is just too hard to get a workout program started.  I will add to that, the longer you wait, the harder it will be!  So GET UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spend your workday sitting if that is what your job requires…but after that, GET UP!  GET OUT OF THE CHAIR AND MOVE!!!  GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY YOURSELF!!!  Play, dance, run, walk, hike, go for a swim, go to the park, fire up the grill, shoot some hoops, play catch, do something but GET UP AND MOVE!!!  Life is passing by very, very quickly.  Grab something and hold on tight for the ride…or just sit there and watch the rest of us have all the fun!!  …and remember to laugh along the way since “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter” -E E Cummings.

Make the most of the day and spend more time UP OUT OF YOUR SEAT!!  …we only get one chance.

WRITER’S BLOCK

I got it…bad!  I made a HUGE shift in the style and format of my blog and my mind has been trying to process it ever since.  Change is the only thing constant in this lifetime, however it is amazing how much of a challenge it is at times. I am excited about this new blog and I hope you enjoy it as well!

I have made some really big life changes in this past month also and I have needed a little extra time and space to process all of that.  All good things, really good things, but nonetheless it has been a huge shift.

Standup Paddleboarding at sunset

It almost feels like if my life was a deck of cards and I threw it all up in the air…the processing sometimes feels like I am picking up each card one by one, and placing them in a orderly pile again.

I have learned a lot about myself in this time.  I have a strong awareness that I am a “practical” person when it comes to life and especially when it comes to buying things.  I buy things that are useful and necessary, or something that I can use in a couple different areas of my life, or something that I can use now but will fit my life for a long time in the future, or something that I can use and someone else could get some use out of it as well, or something that just makese sense.  It would be fun, and I know you would get a kick out of it, if there was a way to record my internal dialogue when I am in the process of making a purchase.

I remember back when I was just over a year into practice and I was out shopping.  I came across a sweater that I absolutely loved and I really wanted to buy it.  Being a student for so many years, the thought of buying a sweater that costs over $70 (or any article of clothing besides a winter jacket) was not even in question.  I saw the sweater, I tried it on, it was (and still is) beatufiul and I knew I would get good use out of it.  It took me 5 phone calls to girlfriends and a call to my mother in order for me to rationalize and justify the purchase.  So if that was what happened on the outside, just imagine the internal dialogue, I torture myself at times when it comes to making almost all purchases.

What I realize in the midst of the interal dialogue termoil is that it takes some fun out of it, being practical all the time takes some fun out of life.  Then add to that the fact that the weeks, months and years are slipping by life going WAY TOO FAST!!!

So my goal is to have more fun.  Do more things that make me smile and laugh and not take things so seriously.  I will be playing my music loudly and singing and dancing in my car…and at home with Choco (my chocolate lab)…on a regular basis.  If you see me, JOIN ME!  I will hang out with people that inspire me and look for groups of people to be around that make me laugh.  I will spend more time seeing the world through the eyes of litlte ones…my neices and nephew and all the rest of the kids in my practice and in my life.  I will spend more time around the water, at the yoga studio, in my kayak, in my running shoes, in my swimming goggles, on my paddleboard, with my family and with my friends, and in front of the computer blogging…because that is what I love to do!

What things to you love to do?  Life is so, so short…and we only get one chance.

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

I feel that a big part of running a business here in Fenton is to give back to the community that gives us so much. Not only am I a regular patron of so many local businesses, I also do my best to attend local community events, participate in everything that my schedule allows for and spread the word about new and upcoming businesses. I believe that “A rising tide lifts all boats” and work that philosophy into my daily choices.

But sometimes that is just not enough and 3 years ago, Cafe of LIFE and Simple Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - We need your help!(which has since been sold) spear-headed an Earth Day Cleanup project. Our first year we attracted around 15 people to help us. We gathered a planning crew for 2011 and attracted close to 80 people for our spring cleaning project. With even more momentum going into this year’s event, 2012 is looking like a great time to really make a difference. I have noticed that the efforts of last year have had lasting effects and we do not see the amount of trash on our streets like last year. This is proof positive that we are making a difference.
Come and join us this year as we take to the streets and give Fenton a fresh start for spring. You will see fliers around town however I want to make sure you have an idea of how this all works. The even is scheduled for Saturday, April 21st 9am-noon. Meet us at Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic Center at 521 N. Leroy St which is 1.5 blocks north of the Fenton Hotel, across from Legacy Realty and Dewey’s Automotive. We will provide biodegradable gloves and bags and send you towards a location in town. Scour the area picking up trash and there will be several drop-off locations provided around the city. We have volunteer pick-up drivers that will bring those bags back to the Cafe of LIFE. Stay for all 3 hours or just a part of it, all help is welcomed. We will have food, water and some kids activities at Cafe of LIFE.
We are hoping for sunny skies but this event will happen rain or shine. Wear comfortable walking shoes, bring your own gloves if you want and dress in layers so you can handle the weather. If you are unable to join us and you happen to be driving around on Saturday morning and see our people out filling bags, make sure to at least honk and wave to show your support…and mark to down on your calendars to join us next time around.
Hope to see you Saturday! If you have any questions or concerns…please feel free to email me at erica@cafeoflifefenton.com or give us a call at the Cafe of LIFE at (810)629-6023.

EARTH DAY CLEANUP

Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - Earth Day Cleanup
This is a quick link to a short write-up about our 3RD ANNUAL EARTH DAY CLEANUP. Come join us on Saturday April 21st 9a-noon. We will provide bags and gloves and a take home gift for all those who volunteer some of their time to our CLEANUP efforts.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/04/earth_day_cleanup_scheduled_in.html

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Cafe of LIFE by phone at (810)629-6023 or email erica@cafeoflifefenton.com. We hope to see you on APRIL 21st for our EARTH DAY CLEANUP!!!

"YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED"

There is a song that runs through my mind lately, mostly because I have heard it so much on my Rusted Root Pandora Station (a highly recommended station, by the way), but also because after I hear it, my mind ponders the message for quite some time. It goes something like this…

“You can’t always get what you want.
You can’t always get what you want.
You can’t always get what you want.
But if you try sometime…you just might find…
YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED!”  

I have had some very interesting life lessons over the past years, as I am sure we all have. I have a strong conviction that although we are presented with most things tChiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - You get what you need hat are WAY outside our control, by the use of gratitude and a strong focus on what we want, we are powerful creators of our lives and experiences. I also realize that sometimes the things that we think we want in our lives or experiences that we want to have happen, are very limiting in the grand scheme of things. There is a much bigger picture to this life than what we can actually see and grasp with our thoughts.

Have you ever sat down and wrote out goals? made a “to do” list? Have you ever thought about what you would like to have happen in 5 years? 10 years? Have you ever quieted down your life enough and heard things come from inside that sounded like “I want a new job.” “I want to make more money.” “I want to be in a relationship.” “I want to be in a different relationship.” “I want a new house.” “I want a new car.” “I want to win the Mega-Millions.” Does any of that sound familiar?

What LIFE has taught me is that what we call our “wants” are very limiting. If ALL and ONLY our wants came to fruition, we would live a small life. Now, when I say small, I don’t mean that in a negative way, more the idea that it would be limiting, like looking over a lake and seeing that as the only possibility of a large body of water without having any concept of the ocean.

Having a direction and steering life with GRATITUDE can open up limitless possibilities. Our “wants” are one thing…but what happens if you don’t get what you “want”? I have a strong faith in the concept that LIFE sends the perfect people, things and experiences to us in the perfect timing in order for us to maximize our potential for learning, growth and evolution. In the moment, it may be very difficult to see the perfection…but most of you have probably experienced that in retrospect it was exactly what you needed. So in other words it is true that…”YOU CAN”T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU…but you just might find YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED!” Be open to the amazing twists and turns of LIFE, take some risks and get outside of your box of “wants”…we only get one chance.

I AM AMAZED EVERYTIME!

I have done my fair share of traveling in my life and have spent a lot of time on planes since I moved home in 2004. I always try to get a window seat because I love seeing what there is to see while we sit and wait for the plane to take off. I am also the one with my nose glued to the glass during portions of the flight and of course the landing. More often than not, prior to take-off I find myself in a daze watching as these huge planes arChiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - I am amazed everytimee filled with people and luggage. I am amazed the logistical phenomenon that is our airline systems…I mean really, how on Earth do they get all those bags to the right spots?!?! I marvel in the simple fact that something that big could fly through the air and carry people comfortably from one location to some place completely different. I know our civilization has been flying for years and years, and I myself have taken numerous flights…but I am so fascinated by the concept of flight. Loading up in Detroit in the middle of winter and arriving in Costa Rica, in a totally different country, climate and culture…that is totally awesome!

With how intense (in a good way) my life is at home, coupled with my ability to completely relax on vacation, flying somewhere sometimes feels like getting on a time machine. The last 2 weeks of March was a very intensely stressful time for me. In the middle of the 2 weeks, it just so happened that I had a trip to Colorado planned. I got to a boiling point and since my trip to Colorado was mostly for fun, I almost backed out of going. After asking a bunch of questions and weighing a few things, I decided to go…and what perfect timing! I left the crazy chaos going on here and as soon as I sat down on the plane, it all melted away. In a short 2.5 hour plane ride, I was half way across the country, with great friends, beautiful sunshine and peace of mind to enjoy the weekend. It truly is amazing to “sit in a chair in the air” and end up thousands of miles away. The following link is one of my favorites…half way through is when he starts his discussion about flight and he hits the nail on the head…I laugh so hard every time I watch this.

His whole concept of “Everything is Amazing and Nobody is Happy” is so right on. Take a look around and find a little something to be amazed by and grateful for. So many of the thigns around you are absolutely amazing…even the simple fact that I can write this blog sitting at my desk and my Grandmother can read it from her home in Florida…and you can read it from wherever you are!! This LIFE truly is AMAZING!!! …and we only get one chance.

"BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT."

Some days I a reminded of how absolutely wonderful my family is…today was one of those days. My Grandma Peabody passed peacefully last Friday and today was her funeral and life celebration. I have been in a gratitude state of mind through the whole transitioning process for the past couple weeks. She had suffered from heart challenges and her mind was slipping over the past years and I am grateful she is liberated from her failing body. I am grateful to live close to her and spend time with her through it all and especially over the past week. I am grateful for my family and the time we have shared and of course the time we spent together today.

 

Though in this gratitude state of mind, I knew deep down inside there was a really stChiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - But I don't know how to do that rong sadness. I am able to hold it all together and go about my life and business, and as long as that stuff is calling my attention, I can stay in gratitude. I was in my practice this morning until noon and the condolences just kept coming and for that I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I got changed and jumped into my car and decided to stop and grab a quick bite to eat. I ran into a friend while doing so and another gracious “I’m so sorry for your loss.” I got back into my car and tried to eat and that is when it hit me. I was about to meet my family at the church and say “Good-Bye” to my Grandmother one last time.

 

I haven’t dealt with much death in my life up to this point. Prior to today, I could only speculate how I was going to respond to the situation. But if you know me, I am a pretty sensitive gal and I was a little startled at how much emoting my body needed to do and no better place then right there with some of the people that love me the most. It was a really wonderful thing to hold my nephew during portions of the service who is brand new on this Earth and the dichotomy of that experience. There were a lot of people present at her funeral to celebrate her and how she touched them in some way.

 

I tend to be one of few questions and spend a lot of my time in silent observation. I loved to listen to her stories and look at pictures but I never knew how to ask questions that would begin the stories. Today, an aunt and uncle stood up and shared her life with everyone and that portion really meant a lot to me.

 

My Grandmother was only 4’11” yet a powerful rock, a kind woman, a natural phenomenon like a rainbow, mother to 9 children, grandmother to 19 and great-grandmother to 14 so far, of Irish decent, raised in Canada, loved the fruit growing business, lover of the arts, nurtured growth in all things, was involved in female empowerment, an artist, a world traveler, had an entrepreneurial spirit, lover of nature, a fabulous cook, welcomed everyone, there was always room for another kid in the house and always room enough for one more at the table, trained as a medical tech, worked on the family farm in Birmingham, met my Grandpa there (stole him from his girlfriend), she was a dreamer, accepting of all humans, involved in numerous committees, lived her life in strong faith, found joy in the success of her children and was a “mirror” for them to discover themselves, a caramel apple connoisseur, a wonderful wife, a loving mother and I actually can hear her distinct voice as I write this blog.

 

Just a few short days before her death, my aunt was sitting at her bedside and she woke up and wanted to know “What is happening to me?” My Aunt responded, “Mom, you are dying.” My Grandmother then said, “But I don’t know how to do that.” This particular interaction really pulls on my heart strings. At a certain point, I am sure she was uneasy about “Not knowing how to do that.” but she sure found a way to do it peacefully and allowed each one of the 33 of us (plus spouses and significant others and friends) join her on that journey the best way we knew how. A little piece of her will grow old again with each one of us and every time I see a rainbow, I will rest well knowing there is one more angel that watches over me in this lifetime. Rest peacefully Grandma and know that you are so loved.

HAVE MORE FUN

I just love Mondays! There is something so fresh about starting a new week and after such a great weekend, I was ready to rock and roll! One of the first people on my table this morning has had a few weeks of neck pain that he calls “stress neck”. In beginning the conversation with him this morning I asked him if he had any fun this past weekend (though I was away, I know we got a lot of snow here in Michigan…and snow=sledding). He responded “actually yes I did have some fun playing outside with the kids this weekend. And the strangest thing, when I got in from playing in the snow, my neck felt great. It was the first time I was pain-free in a few weeks. Then I realized later in the day, something stressful hit me again and I watched the pain set back in.”

Hmmmm…interesting. It was really wonderful that he was able to come to this awareness for himself as stress is the culprit of so much that ails our bodies. It is so important to make time for stress-reducing activities as a regular part of our week. We are bombarded with stress on many levels and coming from many different directions on a daily basis. When we are having fun, stress hormones decrease and endorphins (the body’s natural “feel good” and healing chemicals) increase. It is necessary to find ways to reduce the stress load and let the body be free. When was the last time you played outside? Have you danced lately? Have you ran around and screamed lately? Have you been chased on the playground? Have you been down a slide lately? Ridden your bike? Played a sport with some friends? or laughed so hard your cheeks and belly hurt? GO DO IT!!! HAVE SOME FUN!!!
I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to taking life seriously. I am a pretty serious and rather stoic for the most part. I have to consciously take time to play and be a kid…and when I do, I feel the most ALIVE!!! Life is so much more fulfilling when we find time to be a kid again. Have you been having some fun? How have you been spending your time? GET OUT THERE AND HAVE MORE FUN!!! …we only get one chance.