The Rolling Stones said it best...

"You don't always get what you want... but you get what you need."

I walked into work today and was disappointed to see that I only had one client. No clients = no money. 

I've been feeling frustrated lately after working with some long time clients and not seeing any real improvement. I'm using every trick I know and yet their shoulders and low backs and whatever still continue to give them problems. I know that part of it is that they aren't taking care of themselves. They have stressful jobs, sit with terrible posture all week, don't stretch, don't drink water and in some cases won't let me work on the root of the problem because that area of their body is too sensitive. I know that it isn't truly my fault and that by the time they get back to see me, after what they do to their bodies all week,  they are right back where they started so that's why we are not making much progress, but it's hard not to feel like a failure. 

It's only with two or three clients that I feel this way, but they are my favorite clients. I want to help them. And I worry sometimes if I am just not good enough. 

So I was feeling down about that when I got to work today and saw that I only had one client. This client was a woman in her 40s who had rheumatoid arthritis and scoliosis. Basically what that means is that she has chronic pain and it is a constant battle to keep her muscles from becoming super knotted. 

My hands worked their way around her body. Working on a knot here. Easing tension there. Her muscles released a lot (a LOT!)  but I could still feel some tension in her neck when we finished. I know that the body releases at its own rate and that if it took a client weeks or months to get to the point that they are, that it isn't necessarily going to all go away and be fixed in one little hour, but I was still disappointed with myself. Until...

When I finished the massage I went to wash my hands and a few minutes later when my client was ready she came out of the room. She saw me and she had tears of happiness in her eyes and she gave me a big hug and said, "That was far and away the best massage I have ever had. I haven't felt this good in years." 

There is a reason I do this job. Maybe I am cut out for it after all. 

Sometimes you get what you need.