Massage a little too touchy feely?

Us Brits are not touchy, feely types of people, we are far too stoic to have people hug us or touch us. When I first came to the USA I was shocked by all the people that I hardly know wanting to give me a hug. As they leaned in towards me my brain was thinking "aaaaghhhhhhh they are touching me and what if I have BO" or even worse "they have BO".

I had my first massage when I was 35. The thought of having someone put their hands on me when I had no control made me feel way too uncomfortable. But being pregnant and having awful sciatica, I decided to give it a go and anyway some very good friends bought me a pre-natal massage. I remember feeling really nervous about it, I walked into the most gorgeous little tucked away Day Spa and filled out my forms. They directed me to the lounge for my cucumber water or tea and "Jamie" came to greet me. She took me to this dark little room which smelt like lavender and had calming music playing into the room.

After discussing what was going on with my back Jamie told me I could get undressed and get onto the bed and under the blanket. She disappeared out of the room to give me some privacy. That was when I started to have that age old debate with the other woman inside my head. "Am I supposed to be completely naked"? The sane part of me said "yes" and the insane part of me said "no I can just take my bra off and leave my pants on", (not trousers for you Americans). This debate with myself went on for far too long and all of a sudden I could hear Jaime coming back. I jumped under those covers as fast as a 6 month pregnant woman could and pretended I had been lying there for ever - with my underwear on. Seriously what was I thinking? I have to say that first massage was just OK partly because it took me at least half an hour to relax and anytime her hands got near my sciatic nerve I was pretty much jumping off the table.

Fast forward almost 7 years. These days I would do anything to get a massage. I whip my underwear off and jump under that blanket so quickly that my brain doesn't have a moment to debate. That's what happens when you have 2 kids, a lot of your prudishness goes out the window and the thought of doing something for me that is actually relaxing is just the icing on the cake. Yesterday I went for my first massage over the last 2 years. What is it about massage, when you have those knots that need to be worked out and it kinda hurts as they knead them but its also kind of good? I still see Jaime, she's got to hear what has happened over the last 7 years, I know about her dog, her other job and she has had to listen to my stories of births and life as a mother. For me now, if I could I would have a massage every day. If I ever become rich and famous I would forgo the huge house and thousands of money spent on clothes if I could get a massage every day. My new point of view is "Sod the Brit thing and bring on the touchy feely therapists!"

Its been a while

Almost a year has gone by since I last posted. To much to tell I've had some ups and downs as we all have. I am still driving 50 miles to the school but have found a part time job which allows me to do kindergarten hours (my son has just started).

I was hoping that my first post back after my hiatus would be a funny one as I have a few funny things that have happened. But unfortunately I heard today that Anna a long time blogger friend lost her son in the recent floods in Virginia and I feel for her so strongly. Any loss is tragic but as a parent, for those of us who are, we cannot fathom losing a child before we go ourselves. So Anna I am thinking about you as so many of us are and I am sending everything I have across these airwaves to help give you any tiny bit of strength I can. I am so sorry.