“No” Is Not Forever—Just Not Now

Image by cottonbro

Dear Clients,

Yesterday someone called and asked, “How much is a massage?”

I said, “I’m sorry, we’re closed by state order. There is no reliable way for us to protect you, other clients, or ourselves from COVID-19 transmission.”

The man said, “Really? So you’re closed forever, then, right?”

“Not forever,” I assured. “Just for now. We don’t know how or when it will be safe to offer massage again, but it will be. It isn’t yet, though, and we will not risk infecting you, ourselves, and our families.”

As comfort care professionals, it would be hypocritical and unethical to risk exposing you or ourselves to a potentially debilitating, life-changing, and fatal disease.

Our learned colleague Cal Cates wrote in “An Open Letter to Massage Therapy Consumers”:

Now I have a request. When massage therapy “opens up” in your state or community, please don’t get a massage… yet.

Show me that you care enough about me and about you and about the people who live with you to stay home. Massage therapy cannot happen safely at this time in the COVID-19 trajectory in the U.S. No amount of PPE (whether professional-grade or homemade), disinfection, temperature-taking, or screening questions can make massage therapy safe right now. I am looking forward to working with you again when testing, tracing and quality PPE are standard trappings of daily life.

We agree, Cal, we agree. For now, the answer is no, for your sake and ours.

We would love to see you again. We trust that we will.

May you be safe and well.

~Sheryl & Chris