Never Too Late...

About 16 years ago, I was attending Massage Therapy school at the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy.
It was a two-year program. Unfortunately, approximately a year into the program, life happened. I ended up dropping out and moving out here.
I loved massage school, and I was good at it. That is one profession you don’t hear people say, “I have an appointment for a massage today, I don’t want to go.”
I once had a psychiatrist tell me I should really become a child psychologist. I had been going through my own therapy with him for a while and he thought I would be very good at it.
There is a big part of me that wants to hear everyone’s story. That being said, there is also a big part of me that wants to help; I have a desire to fix things.
That desire also leads to me over analyzing everything. In the end, I decided I could not go into psychology. It would wear me down, I would have a hard time leaving my work behind.
Back to massage, this is a profession where I can heal and fix and help. It is also a profession where I don’t constantly worry about my clients.
Fast forward 16 years. A lot of life has happened in that time: marriage, kids.
There has been a tremendous amount of change in my life in the past year.
I went from being a stay-at-home mom for 10 years to going back into the workforce.
With three children, comes a lot of expenses. I love working at the paper, but I need to do a bit more.
I have decided to return to Massage Therapy school. I will continue working at Clay County News as much as I can.
I begin my online coursework any day now. I will complete all of my kinesiology, pathology, physiology and other similar classes online.
This coming fall, I will be moving to Colorado for six weeks for intensive training and schooling. It is going to be hard; I can’t take my kids with me, as my school hours are full-time, 40 hours a week.
To help pay for this schooling and loss of income for six weeks, I have taken on another part-time job. I am exhausted. This is a complete life and schedule change for myself and my kids...
Hard work pays off, right?
When I say I am exhausted, I really mean exhausted. I almost drove to the wrong job this morning. When I woke up, I didn’t know what day it was. I honestly thought I lost a week in the haze of working mostly 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
Why I am I doing this? I need to; I need to do it not only for myself, but also for my children.
They need to see you finish what you start. You have to go to school, your education is of utmost importance.
Chances are, I will look back a year from now and not remember if I was coming or going. There have been a lot of days lately I question why I am doing this.
I will admit I am getting burnt out, which is why I reiterated what hours I am willing to work at this second job.
It’s not easy, I miss my kids. I went from being with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week to barely seeing them, and when I do, I can’t help the fact that my eyes close.
The key is to keep reminding myself this will all be worth it in the end. This is only a short period of time in the grand scheme of things.
When I have finished all this, I will be that much more satisfied with myself. I will have found that much more worth in myself.
It will show through to my kids. After all, they are what drives me, they are what I do everything for.
The more confidence and worth I see in myself, the more it will reflect on my kids.
Isn’t that what we all want for our children... to be happy, confident, to see themselves as they are seen through our eyes.
Like I said, this is and will continue to be hard work, but it will be so worth it in the end.
Let me be your inspiration, look at me and know it really is ‘Never Too Late.’