One of “those people”

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Do you have one of “those people” in your lives?  One of those people who believes in you and supports you through all of your choices?  One of those people who has known you from the very beginning, and has helped to influence and shape your life for the better?  One of those people who you have a connection with, who is your cheerleader, with whom you feel stronger at their side?  I had one of “those people” come and visit me last week.  It was my Auntie Carol.  And today is her birthday.

Auntie Carol lives in Alberta, and has not been to visit me for seven years, when she surprised me for my baby shower in 2008.  But I see her at least once a year, when we head West, and we are in frequent communication over email.  She holds such a special place in my heart, and I thought I’d take this public opportunity to share that with all of you.

We took her down to the lake, out for dinner, and to play laser tag.  We went for walks, went for brunch, and went to the library.  We hung pictures on my walls, made my new house feel like home, we laughed and ate cookies.  We had a few chiropractic treatments, a busy four days, and not nearly enough time.  It was wonderful and nostalgic and loving, and it filled up my heart.

If you’re so inclined, leave her a “Happy Birthday” comment below this blog post and make her special day even more so.

I love you Auntie Carol, thanks for coming, and happy birthday.

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My parents, my kids, and my wonderful Auntie Carol.

It was a good weekend.

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I love school.  I love sharp pencils and blank notebooks just waiting to be written on.  I used to love the promise of September, of a new school year with new projects and new challenges.  I have eight years of post-secondary education under my belt, and I would happily go back for more if I thought my busy life could juggle it.  But that’s not in the cards for me in the foreseeable future, so for now, continuing education seminars are the “school” that meets that need.

RCCSSI attended one such seminar this past weekend.  It was the Royal College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences annual conference.  Quite the title, no?  I’ve been to this conference before, and I love it every year.  This year’s theme was “Train Smarter,” and we listened to wonderful presenters like Mark Rippetoe, Christian Thibaudeau, and Dr. Andreo Spina talk about training, performance, and movement.  Two days of bliss, where I could sit with my sharpened pencil and my new notebook and soak up new ways of thinking and new forms of inspiration

But you know what was the best part?  You guessed it, it was the people.  It was being called “Ash” and saying “remember when?”, seeing classmates I haven’t seen in years and spending time with like-minded colleagues.  It was a sense of belonging in a very male-dominated field and a shared interest in all things sport and athlete and treatment and research.  I love my job and my patients and my hands-on practice, and it is events like these that keep me motivated to continually improve, to learn more, to question more, to master more, to progress more.

It was a good weekend.

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Because I am me, but I could’ve been her.

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I am not afraid for my life.

My children are getting an education.

I have access to healthcare and antibiotics and clean drinking water.

My home is safe.

I don’t worry about bombs or air raids or war sirens.

I have two cars and three bedrooms and big, beautiful trees.

I did not happen to be at a concert hall in Paris, or a funeral in Baghdad, or walking in a suburb of Beirut.

I was born in Canada.

So I am lucky.  

I am certain that there are 36-year-old female Syrian refugees who do not have loving husbands and healthy children and dream jobs and safe, secure homes.

I am also certain that if the situations were reversed, if I just so happened to be born in Damascus instead of Provost, if I just so happened to be unlucky instead of quite possibly the luckiest ever, if I just so happened to be fleeing my home and my country, while clinging to my children and screaming, crying, shuddering in terror while trying to keep them safe and nourished and not witnessing human atrocities daily and seeing the very worst of the very worst, well then,  I am quite certain that I would want her help.

So I am lucky.

And I will help.  Because I am me, but I could’ve been her.

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