A journal entry.
Well, sort of. I won't be sharing any really deep feelings here.
Life has been sort of an emotional roller coaster and that stems from a number of things.
I have lived on my own now for a little over 3 months now. I started working pretty close to full time for a couple of podiatrists and I am going to school. I only see my kids on the weekends and whenever I can during the week. THAT is the hardest part! I tend to get weepy at random parts of the day over that. But, I am really trying to find my new normal. This is all very foreign to me and I am trying to stay positive. Some days are easier than others. I am SO grateful for friends and family that check on me daily. It means so much to me. Those of you know how it was before, know that this is how it has to be and I appreciate your support in that. This is my new life and I have to be strong. I am relying on the Lord more than ever and I know that my prayers are being answered. I listen to two talks almost every day (I am sure soon I will have committed them to memory). They are this one and this one. They both give me hope help to remind me of my purpose. I can say now with great certainty, that I feel like I will be ok!
In May I started the Arizona School of Massage Therapy and I absolutely love it. I go to school Monday through Thursday nights in Tempe. Every night is a different class and it is broken up into 5 sessions for the year to come. The classes I am taking right now are Anatomy 1, Massage Therapy basics, Reflexology, Professional Development and I just finished First Aid/CPR.
I have different teachers for all the classes and they all bring different styles to the program. I think my Anatomy teacher is my favorite though. His 3 1/2 hour lectures just fly by. He sounds a bit like a game show host when he talks and he is always saying how, if you change your wording about parts of the body, you can impress your friends at parties. LOL It's funny, because I was most afraid of this class since I have such terrible retention. Surprisingly, I am getting really good grades! YAY! My teacher has such a passion for teaching anatomy and he makes it FUN. Sometimes he is a bit gross, but it is necessary since some of anatomy is kind of gross. :) I think that my kids would get a kick out of this class. When I get the chance I teach them some of the interesting things I have learned about the body and they are fascinated. They have the most amazing questions for me and such keen insight as well. And, they love to help me study.
I really love Reflexology! It is amazing the techniques that are used to help in specific problem areas in the body. I know a lot of people don't like feet, but I LOVE them. Thanks to my kids and Jenny, I am getting lots of practice.
I am really excited about Massage Therapy basics. There is SO much to learn about it and I know it will all just start to flow naturally the more I practice. We started the class by learning about "Beingness". This word always reminds me of my friend Tara Whitney (her theme in life "Just Be") and the sweet comment she left when I first mentioned going to school here on my blog. "Beingness" is just that connection you develop with your client. Still working on that one as I develop all the right body mechanics and learn all of the modalities. There is one thing I am still getting used to...we are all in the classroom, each with a partner of our choosing. We set up the tables with our sheets and towels and the room goes dark. Since we take turns, the one on the table first undresses under the sheet, while the partner protects us from being exposed. Then, the therapist proceeds to "drape" the one on the table VERY MODESTLY to uncover only the skin being worked on. All of this can be tricky, but I am getting the hang of it.
I LOVE school and I am so glad I made the choice to go back. I am grateful to recognize the Lord's hand in helping me through this time. Grateful there is a plan for me. I am learning so much about myself as I progress through this trying time in my life. Happy to report that I have hope that good things lie in store for me.