Still here, still precautious, still imperfect

February 2, 2023  |  by Sheryl Rapée-Adams  |  Comments are off  | 

Nearly three years have passed since we shut down for the pandemic. Our changed practice reopened in November 2021.

Welcoming you back for craniosacral therapy, massage therapy, and reflexology has, I think, been as therapeutic for us as for our clients.

Thank you for coming back. We’re grateful for your respecting our ongoing public health precautious. We understand that many businesses, including bodywork offices, no longer require masks and other measures. We remain on the cautious side to serve clients with diverse health conditions as well as to protect our own health.

Still, being human means erring at times.

Today a client arrived to find that they weren’t expected until the following week because I (Sheryl) entered the appointment into our calendar incorrectly. I apologized profusely and said we could start at once. They were angry and didn’t want to stay. Very sorry that I had wasted their time, I offered them a free session if they rescheduled.

I wish I hadn’t done this, but I did. I don’t have the power to undo my error. No matter what I do, the client’s morning remains disrupted, their bodywork session not having happened as anticipated.

When I err, I’ll do what I can to make it right. And there is only so much I can do.

One thing I can do: know that I did what I could and forgive myself. When the mental judge tells me I’m unprofessional, I thank it for sharing, for trying to help me do better. As many times as it takes.

We know you’re human too. Clients have forgotten to show up for their appointments. We request 24 hours’ notice unless illness or emergencies arise, but we’re all human. This has happened less since I began emailing clients the day before appointments. (My e-calendar would have pinged me to email a reminder to today’s client, but not until next week.)

I haven’t blogged in months. Just wanted you to know we’re still here, still serving. We wish you a 2023 of compassion, equanimity, kindness, and joy—within yourself and among others.

We look around ourselves and know that those we love, those we struggle with, and the many beings we have never met have their own measure of sorrow and joy. No one is exempt from loss, unwelcome change, uncertainty, and instability. We share with all beings the longings for happiness, acceptance, love, and respect, We share with all the longings to be free from isolation, fear, and pain. The qualities of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity exclude no one—their cultivation is dedicated to the well-being, peace, and freedom of heart of all beings.

—from Boundless Heart: The Buddha’s Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity by Christina Feldman