Small Things Brought Together

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." 
Vincent Van Gogh 


Yesterday, with my husband by my side, I surpassed my blog goal to walk to one thousand miles in 2011.  I came home, made my donation to help build a home for a severely disabled young Marine in my home state of Virginia, then moved on.  What I did was nothing compared to what he and his family have ahead of them.  I did what I could.  I wish I could do more.  It is my hope that others will be inspired to help him as well as others who are in need.  


Last night, my husband came home, had dinner, and fixed the broken kitchen cabinet lickedy split.  As I put things back in, I wondered what was next for me.  One step at a time...one small act at a time.  There are so many other missions to accomplishment, so many folks out there in need.  But first, mama needed a massage.  Hey, give me a break.  I'm no spring chicken, and with the life I've led, I have serious achy parts.  
So, I made an appointment to visit my nearby Massage Envy.  I haven't been in a while.  I must have a half dozen visits on my account by now.  I never seem to catch up and use all I have.  I really wish you could donate them to friends and family.  Oh well.  
Unable to get my favorite- a hot stone (which counts as two sessions), I scheduled what I could get...a sports massage.  So, this morning, after my treadmill walk, push ups, weight repetitions, and sit ups, I headed over to get my massage.  I'll admit, I didn't realize just how sore I was until I got back to my routine work out this morning..and I guess the rain didn't help.  I have a lot of arthritis from my active duty days.  When I came in out of the rain, I was immediately greeted with warm smiles.  I noticed that they were planning a fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation.  I was early so I asked if I could take a few photos.  No problem.  They love it when I blog about them.  After all, who doesn't love a happy customer who has nice things to say about a business?

When my time came, I went back to the massage area and met my masseuse.  I had never had a sports massage before.  I didn't really know what to expect.  He (usually I have a female) was extremely nice, and coincidentally, a disabled former Marine.  We talked about injuries, about medical boards, about school, about family.  We talked about meeting personal challenges.  He was shocked when I told him my age.  Let's just say,  I had already been retired from the Army three years before he went in to the Marines from high school.  He absolutely made my day when he said he thought I looked no more than 33 years old.  Whether its true or not, its always nice to hear.  
Anyway, the massage was everything I'd hoped and more (with the bonus of him thinking I was 15 years younger than I actually am).  I came out of the room relaxed and ready for new adventures.  I made my appointment to return for the fundraiser on October 12 and left.  It was still raining, but my mood was positively sunny.  If you aren't busy on the 12th of October, schedule a massage at Massage Envy.  Ten dollars of every massage will be donated to the Arthritis Foundation.  Its a small thing, but really...every little bit counts.