Struck but staying STRONG

A little over a month ago a law in my state was proposed to change the way Chiropractors, Massage Therapists and Acupuncturists earn a living.  Read $0.  The lawmakers' game plan was mainly to eradicate and tackle the issue of fraud in this state.

The law passed 22-17 vote in the Senate this past week and many professionals are shell shocked.

My husband is a Chiropractor.  He's an honest, hard working and dedicated man.  He's upheld his profession to the highest degree and believes in the power to make a difference through the human touch.

His ultimate goal is to run a full wellness practice to serve the public in their desire to be healthy, happy and non-subluxated.  Unfortunately, we live in a city that makes it difficult to run a full wellness practice because the truth is, most want a 'quick fix' and plastic surgery takes the cake here.  It's the truth.  Wellness is not a priority where we live.

Anything is possible but when you have an uphill battle to run against and now a bulldozer law that forces my husband's profession to make nil, the outlook is bleak.  We have many options to consider and the thought of it all is extremely scary.  The unknown is always stress inducing.

I've filled my Facebook page with status updates on my thoughts about all this and many have offered their support and encouragement on the 'what's next?' aspect of it.

I know that 'everything happens for a reason' and that when 'one door closes, another one opens' but it still feels debilitating and shocking all at once for a person to handle.  I've kept a calm and strong head throughout all this.  I guess that there could be worse things, right?! 

My family is healthy, strong and able to do many things.  I know that nothing can stop us from making our lives anything but amazing, even if there are some bumpy roads ahead of us.
Unity and strength will carry us FORWARD.  We all want the best for our families and options are always a good place to start.

"When life gets you down you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming!" 

-Dory (Finding Nemo)   

Because I hold an terminal (meaning that I can teach at University level) MFA in Creative Writing, I'm hoping to find some kind of teaching position either at a local college or online (whichever comes first!)  Freelance writing is always and open option too.  I know that something will open up for me.  I'm confident!  There is much to consider but I'm extremely positive about the road ahead.    

I'm throwing this out to the Universe and to the higher powers beyond me, hear my plea!

I have the courage and the passion to move forward, no matter what.

I wrote this earlier on my FB:

"When adversity stands IN your way, push it OUT of the way. When the odds are AGAINST you, prove them WRONG. When all the chips fall to the ground, pick them up and hold your head up HIGH. When your options are slim, think BIGGER and CREATE something OUTSIDE of the box. When you think that there is nothing left to consider, turn to the people that TRULY love and support you because there is not ONE thing that one cannot overcome because NO ONE can take away your DIGNITY, KNOWLEDGE or WORTH. Where a WILL exists there will always be a WAY to get there." - Vanessa Jubis

Thank you to my friends and family that have already offered your words of encouragement through this gray moment in our lives.  You. are. my. heart.
 

Gentle hands communicate...

Hands image via BlackCanvas

My husband is in pain.  His pain is tiring and debilitating and frustrating.  But he's connected to his body probably more so because he is a Chiropractor.  He honors the power of touch, the power of hands, the power of communication through the hands.  Our hands hold light and energy and words that one cannot express with the voice.  Chiropractors envelop their art through the use of their hands to heal and hear what the body is saying.

This morning, our daughter Luna walked up to her Daddy, still sleepy eyed and shuffling her her bare feet as he was slumped over beside me on the cold, quartz counter with a discomfort in his back that started out of nowhere, as I drank my coffee.   Luna came and placed her little, delicate and gentle hand over his back.  She didn't speak but she knew that her gentle touch would somehow communicate something powerful to him.  To his pain.  To his discomfort.  To his energy.  She rubbed his back slowly and placed her forehead on his arm and stayed there, comforting him.  Her hands were communicating something more powerful to him than "Does your back hurt, Daddy?"  


Sometimes a simple touch to let someone know that you understand, can feel their pain, that you care, that you love them, that you can 'hear' the discomfort without an exchange of words just may be what we need to feel validated, refreshed, renewed, appreciated, loved and understood.  A gentle act of communicating through the hands with a touch of one's shoulder, one hand placed over another in sympathy or joy or simply to 'say' I'm here, here for you is better medicine for the soul, better for the heart, better for one's own existence and oftentimes simply better for the world as a whole.

Today I want you to communicate something beautiful, magical, mysterious and moving by using your hands to 'speak' your love for someone, your empathy for someone's pain (be it emotionally or physical), your understanding of the human condition.  Remember that your hands are the first things you extend to the world to either embrace a loved one, introduce yourself, make amends, accept a promotion, accept a demotion, accept a hard earned degree, hold your baby for the very first time, to release a dove and to sometimes cup a child's innocent face and tell them that you love them.

Your hands communicate what you cannot put into words...vj

As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others- Audrey Hepburn~