For me that is!
And I feel so ready!
For some time now, I have felt like life has been pointing in this direction, but it has always been difficult to do things just for me. A couple of years ago, I played adult coed soccer (my shins paid for that one) and took violin lessons from a friend. I realized at the time this was consuming and taking away from my family and decided it just wasn't my season. I was really okay with that, because I get so much enjoyment from my kids' games and recitals that it just isn't necessary for me.
But now it is time.
Let me start by saying that within the last few years, I have had experiences to help me acknowledge a gift I have been given. My mom and I were on vacation in Northern California with the kids and my sister in law. Poor mama woke up one morning with a painful migraine. While she took some pain medication, it just wasn't enough. She isn't the type to let "a little pain" get her down, so we went to the park with the kids. I told her to lay in my lap and I would rub her head for her... she never refuses this. :) In the course of about an hour I rubbed her head while she slept and her migraine left her. My mom has always said that I have "magic hands", but at this point I hadn't thought much about it until I had a second experience with my friend Tara. She had just flown in from California and had a migraine coming on something fierce. She had a photography session the next morning and didn't really want to cancel. I had her lay her head in my lap and got to work. Probably within the course of an hour, she was asleep and when the next morning came, she told me that the migraine never fully developed. I have had some other experiences with this as well. I realized something about myself... I really love to relieve people of their pain.
For a little over a year I have been going back and forth, about whether or not I should pursue this as a career. With life's current changes, now is the time.
So, I enrolled at the Arizona School of Massage Therapy in Tempe! This school is SO amazing! Whenever I go there, I feel so happy. EVERYONE that works there or is attending as a student has a smile on their face. I walk in, and the people at the front desk know my name. The students that are passing me to go outside on break greet me with a smile and say hello. The enthusiasm that emanates from that building is absolutely incredible.
Ok, now the really great part! The possibilities are ENDLESS! I had no idea. Of course there are always cruise ships, chiropractic, and places like Massage Envy, but hearing about the medical healings that they are discovering is what peaked my interest. Autistic children receive massages to help them relax and those who suffer from arthritis can feel relief. A friend of mine was telling me that her massage therapist told her that he could help her lose weight by massaging her belly. It would release the toxins and make it easier and faster for her body to lose that weight. But the one thing that tugged at my heart strings was working with cancer patients. Massage can relieve the bone pain after chemo therapy. I am not making any concrete decisions now, but if I did have to choose right now, this is the field I would like to go into.
So, I start night school on May 26 and go for almost a full year. One of the benefits of this school is no matter where you go, they will always find you a job... for the rest of your life! Part of the schooling is professional development, where they help you with resumes, marketing strategies and interviewing. They have a clinical internship on Saturdays (and Sundays) where we have to massage 5 people in 5 hours. There are a few things that I recognize will be out of my comfort zone... like the trip to the cadaver lab and the disrobing for practice massage with fellow students. The guy at admissions assured me this is all done very modestly. I didn't even ask him about it, but I am sure he could read the concern all over my face. LOL Those who know me have doubted my ability to do this because of this portion of the course. But, I am pretty sure if I can get through that, I can do anything!
It's going to be tough... no doubt about it. My confidence is at an all time low. It's been some time since I have been to school or even worked, but I am sure the excitement I feel will help with that confidence level. I have had so many wonderful people supporting me through this time in my life and I am sure they will be my biggest cheerleaders when times get tough. But, most of all I have to recognize the Lord's hand in this.
I am most excited to do this for my mom. She is in so much pain daily with arthritis. She and I are so alike in that we both like to get out there and explore. However, the pain she feels limits that. I can't wait to work on her and help her relieve some of that pain.
There is so much more to tell about, but this is getting rather lengthy! I am just really excited to get started!