March is the third month of the calendar year, and so I began to ponder on the number three, and how it is everywhere; in time, history, in culture, music and science (and shamrocks!).
How many grouping of three can you immediately think of? Here’s a start:
Body Mind and Spirit,
Small, Medium, Large
Past, Present, Future
Earth, Wind & Fire!
Do you love these cold winter days? Some say yes, but many are saying
"No way! I can't wait for Spring!"
Here's the thing: Winter NEEDS to happen. The earth sleeps in cycles and takes her naps and hibernation periods to restore and reabsorb her energy. At the office we appreciate our sleeping garden outside the adjusting room. Even in its dormant state, the promise of what is to come keeps us watching. This year's arctic temps and record snows also bring much to enjoy as the birds and more come close to feed and leave tracks. The koi are deep down under the pond's ice, slumbering through these weeks. Brrrr!
Shifting gears... One little number. We turned the page from the 25th year of this century to the brand new 26th. Deep breath – Doesn't it always feel like a new beginning when we start a new year? It’s the opportunity to make new plans, dreams, and to organize and release the past year’s ‘stuff’. Most of us have things that we don’t want to carry over. Take the time to look at what worked, what didn’t and then redesign a happy storyboard for yourself.
Last week I said yes to an impromptu afternoon with some longtime chiro gal pals—each one a loving sister/friend. For more than 30 years we’ve lifted each other up and shared a deep love for our profession.
We strolled, shopped, sampled treats, and soaked in the pre-holiday glow. It was a much-needed pause, and I loved playing local tour guide for their first Christkindlmarkt visit here in Bethlehem.
Every November, one way or another, I try to plant idea seeds, some food for thought, as we enter into the final eight weeks of the year.
I think we are all in agreement that 2025 has been on the fast track; it zoomed by with a speed like no other. The coming holidays are literally nipping at our heels. Merchandise and ads start showing up earlier each year.
Crisp days can mean many things to each of us. Bring out those sweaters! Warm up the cider! Go Birds! Whatever you're doing remember life is ALWAYS better when you're well-adjusted! The season brings Thanksgiving and more, with celebrating, travel, food preparations. It can become all consuming and may result in disease and subluxation.
Summer went zip, and now we’re prepping for the crunchy, colorful days of autumn, even as our local temps are still hitting the 80s.
Change is all around us and I remain keenly aware of when there’s a lull of quiet amid the bustle of to-do lists, events and projects. It doesn’t happen often, but it gets me to thinking…
On the back porch early—time to get this month's newsletter done! The morning light is soft, the air is cool—48 degrees in August and it feels like Autumn already. I have my hooded sweater on, wow.. Kids are back in school, routines are shifting, and though Summer isn’t over, the longer light days are winding down.
Driving home now, sunset comes sooner. I can tell how the adjusting room sunlight seems to move faster. Mornings are darker too—my alarm goes off and I'm now up at “dark o’clock.” I’m a natural-light lover, so I take quick notice to these shift in the late summer light.
BJ Palmer, the Developer of Chiropractic, loved shortening words. So here's
a “Chiro thot” on Light.
And just like that, it’s the golden heart of summer. Ahh, August! How is it that we wait all year for summer to arrive—and zoom—it’s halfway over, and the stores already have holiday decorations on display? What’s the message here?
It feels like the world is always trying to rush us forward. But let’s not miss what’s right in front of us. As the saying goes, “Today is the gift—that’s why it’s called the present.”
Every year, I make sure to get my toes in the sand, support a kid’s lemonade stand, enjoy a juicy slice of watermelon, and search for that perfect drip-down-my-chin peach. What summer rituals bring you joy?
One recent conversation in the office sparked my thought for this issue:
our bodies are always working for us, whether we notice or not.
We hear the obvious messages:
Stomach rumbling? Time to eat.
Bladder full? Better find a bathroom.
Heart racing? Could be a sprint across the lot—or that suspenseful movie.
But what about the quiet functions—the ones that don't speak up until it's too late? Think about how we care for our teeth: we brush, floss, and visit the dentist before anything hurts. Same with vision—we get checkups even when we see “just fine.” Why? Because we’ve been taught to pursue self care proactively.
Lately, I’ve been noticing that everywhere I go, I see —heads down, eyes on screens.
At the dinner table, on the beach, walking the dog, in the drive-thru line, while getting a pedicure.
And although cell phones have made life more convenient, somewhere along the way, we’ve started missing what’s right in front of us.
We scroll to pass the time, swipe to feel connected, tap to buy, tap again to escape. And, poof.. true present time consciousness is so easily lost.
"Show me a deep breath…"
I ask you to breathe in whenever you’re on the table. Why? Because your breathing tells me so much about your spine and nerve system!
(Deep gratitude to my teacher, mentor, and dear friend, the late Dr. Arno Burnier, who helped me truly understand the wisdom in observing breath during my spinal analysis.)
Spring is a time for blooms. Every morning I spy new colorful offerings that weren't there the day before. Snowdrops, forsythia, daffodils, and grape hyacinths. They fill me with joy and surprise! Of course, the blooms were there the day before, but in a different form. In a bud that wasn't fully open. The right conditions of temperature and soil nutrients and warm sunlight gave the bud what it needed to become full!
February made sure we knew it was winter! But in just a few days, we'll set the clocks ahead, welcoming the slow return of warmth. Funny how time plays tricks on us; slow traffic feels endless, yet time with loved ones flies by. Kids can't wait for spring, while teens feel the slow itch of waiting for adulthood. Everybody's in a rush!
“525,600 minutes.. How do you measure a year in a life? .. measure in love..”
- ’Seasons of Love’, Rent
This year marks eighteen years since we moved our practice here from around the corner, and we've been blessed with many seasons since. Winter 2025 is certainly showing her extremes: 43 degrees one day, then plunging to -13 the next! While some are counting down to spring, each season brings its own gifts. Snowmen, skiing, cocoa, warm socks. The frozen waterfall and amazing deer visits from the adjusting room windows too! The cozy quiet of winter invites us to pause, reflect, appreciate and renew.
Here's to ringing in the new year with peace. Here's how:
Carry over the good memories and savor the accomplishments of this past year. Remember those who have made their transition, those whose lives and actions made a difference in yours. Celebrate the fond moments of joy that were shared. Look back on all you did that was good, enjoyed and achieved!
Growing up, TV sure had fewer channels, and many shows were instantly recognizable by their theme songs! I remember a fun piano bar in Greenwich Village, NYC, where they sang TV classics that totally date me: The Beverly Hillbillies, The Addams Family, The Jetsons, The Flintstones, All in the Family. And come to think of it, they all shared a common theme: family!
We didn’t even realize we’d memorized every word, to sing along and join in the fun. It was a locked in memory; once we heard the music the rest was easy.
Change is all around us, in more ways than one! I’m reminded of an old chiropractic joke:
Q: Why did dinosaurs become extinct?
A: They failed to adjust!
Right now, adjusting is essential to keep up with all the changes happening around us. Temperatures are dropping, so we bundle up for warmth. Animals naturally adapt too, thickening their fur in winter and shedding in spring. Here in the Northeast, we’re shifting from open windows and AC to cozying up with blankets, fireplaces, and pellet stoves. I even recall the clanking sounds of radiator heat in my old 1890s childhood home and my New York City brownstone apartment too.
Change is one thing we can always count on. We had a lovely stretch of warm September days, but with a new season, change is in the air. We see it in the darker mornings, feel it in the crisp air (hello, ‘sweata weatha’), and enjoy the warm afternoon light as the leaves start to turn. It's time for mums, apples, corn mazes, and homecomings. Welcome, Autumn!
Life, as we've come to know it has become faster, more fleeting, and occasionally, blurry. The very fact that I'm writing this newsletter for the 8th month of 2024 boggles the mind!
Believe me when I tell you, that more and more, I 'get it'.. like why people leave their Christmas lights up! My days are filled with to-do lists, goal setting, errands, zoom calls, deadlines, projects, chores. Does this sound familiar? And it seems, one week I'm checking your children, watching their heights change on the "How Tall Wall", then suddenly they are driving themselves in to get checked. wow..
How does time pass so quickly? Same 24/7 but somehow we went from being on Zoom call to living IN a zoom life..leading to the catch phrase "never a dull moment".
