NEW CLINIC HOURS

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The week that I’ve been dreading for months has come and gone, and both of my children are now in school full-time, officially closing the a-child-at-home chapter of my life.

My son was born in January 2009, when I was only a few years into my chiropractic career.  My clinic was a brand new baby too, and it soon became apparent that I could not manage being a full-time mom and a full-time business woman effectively.  I chose to sell my clinic and build my practice as a part-time associate rather than a full-time chiropractor, and that’s what I’ve done for the last seven and a half years.  My husband and I have managed to juggle our work hours so that one of us is always at home, thus eliminating the need for daycare, and I’ve gradually increased my clinic hours as my children have gotten older.  The flexibility of my job has been an unexpected quality-of-life bonus for me, and not something that was on my radar as a 20-something embarking upon my chiropractic degree.

Here I am on the other side of that transition away from work.  Taking a conscious step back from my practice in 2009 seemed like a huge undertaking at the time.  The feminist in me felt guilty about taking my foot off the gas of my growing career and the mother in me felt guilty for feeling that way.  But long hours at the clinic were soon traded for long hours of newborns, diapers, and strollers, and my primary hat shifted from clinic to kids.  It’s been that way for a long time, and my “normal” is daytime with my kid(s) and afternoon/evenings with my patients.  That’s about to change.

Effective yesterday, I’ve increased my clinic hours by nearly 50%.  This is the largest change in my professional life to date, second only to the sale of my clinic in 2010.  My daytime availability is skyrocketing, and my afternoon/evening availabity will shift only slightly.  For my current patients, I hope that this opens up more opportunity for you to get an appointment with me at your convenience, and for my new patients, I look forward to having much more time to meet you and help you.

0K0A4007-ExposureIf you’re reading this, you’ve been a part of my professional journey thus far, and I hope that you continue to do so.  I appreciate your support, and I will see you soon.

NEW CLINIC HOURS:

Monday: 11:00am-7:00pm

Tuesday: 9:00am-2:00pm

Wednesday: 9:00am-5:00pm

Friday: 9:00am-6:30pm

Saturday: 9:45am-1:00pm

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Solitude

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I arrived to my hot yoga class forty-five minutes early yesterday morning.  I’d misread the holiday schedule, and showed up to find an empty parking lot and a locked studio door.  I probably could’ve gone back home, as it’s only a five minute drive each way, but I felt myself longing for some solitude.  So I stayed in my car, opened the doors, and wrote this post while wrapped in the bliss of fresh air, Summer sunshine, and a holiday Monday.

Solitude is not something I get a lot of; with a young family, busy job, and great friends, alone time is rare.  For many of you, I’m sure that’s also the case.  But, as I’m learning, solitude is something I absolutely need to be my best self.  I’d say I’m an extroverted introvert, if that’s even a thing, and what really refreshes and resets me is time alone.  I see this trait in my son as well, and cater to and protect his downtime daily.  For me, sometimes it’s just a few deep breaths and a brief moment with my thoughts before I feel regrouped and ready to tackle the next task.  Yesterday, it meant a 75-minute yoga class and a half hour in my quiet car.  I needed it yesterday.  I could feel it, I was craving it.

I’d met up with a dear friend of mine the night before, for a movie and then a walk, and we talked about exactly this: alone time and self-discovery and reflection.  She’s very good at self-improvement and introspection, and I always look to her lead in those areas.  Her recent discovery is that of a 24-hour solo retreat; that is, 24 hours away from home, alone.  No to-do lists or timelines or schedules or expectations.  This “solo retreat” is a foreign concept to me, something I hadn’t considered, and something I’ve never done in the 7.5 years that I’ve been a parent.  She certainly piqued my interest.

My husband and I had a similar conversation awhile ago, regarding my need for a daily dose of solitude.  “That’s one of the things I love about running,” I told him, “it gives me alone time to think.”  To think, and breathe, and dream.  My 24-hour retreat would involve lots of sleep, lots of writing, lots of food, and lots of running.

What would yours look like?

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April, May, June

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My youngest child is heading off to Junior Kindergarten (JK) in September.  In Ontario, children are registered in JK the year that they turn four.  Kindergarten is a two-year, play-based curriculum, and it became a full-day program across the province in 2014.  So, in just a few months, off she will go to join her brother in the everyday school world.

She’s ready.  I, on the other hand, most certainly am not.

When my son was born in 2009, I chose to take a huge step back from my career.  I had only been in practice for a few years at that point, and it soon became clear that I could not operate a clinic and be at home with my son as much as I wanted to be.  Something had to give, so I sold my clinic in 2010 and have worked as an Independent Contractor, running my business within a business, since then.  In 2013, after my daughter was born, I found my BSSC family and planted my practice roots.  Now here I am, for the first time in seven and a half years, preparing to go back to full-time hours. The chapter of my life with young children at home, a chapter that seemed to stretch endlessly before me, is in fact, coming to a close.

My husband and I have always altered our schedules to work opposite hours so that one of us can be at home with our kids.  For the first three years, that meant just my son and I had our mornings together, and for the last two years it’s been just my daughter and I.  But she and I only have three months left of our girls-only weekdays.  My husband is a teacher, so will be back at home starting in July, as will my son, who is finishing Grade 1.  Just April, May, June, and then the page turns.

They say that the days are long but the years are short.  And they’re right.

Here’s to twelve more weeks of what-shall-we-do-today mornings….