It began with a daydream. Simple musings without any real direction.

Once I knew that I was leaving Maui, after living there for 30+ years and moving to beautiful Portland, I began to daydream during my quiet moments of daily life, “When I get to Portland, I’ll find a cozy little massage clinic near my home. A sweet little spot that I can walk to in 7 or 8 minutes or ride my bike.”

Was that realistic? I don’t know for sure, but my wife reminded me that I am not new to daydreaming. So, daydreaming about a sweet little clinic in the middle of the surging pandemic was probably not realistic.

At that time, my massage practice was well established and thriving on Maui despite covid. Yes, we did a lot of deep cleaning and wore masks. And my clients knew and trusted me.

Leaving them was not easy. It was challenging to say goodbye to so many clients I had grown up with. Yet, I knew we would be moving. So, I did my absolute best to find good therapists for them to try out once I was gone.

As we got closer to leaving, I was sure that I would be doing massage in Portland. That’s why I began to have a daydream of the sweet little clinic just around the corner and down a couple of blocks.

Instead, when we arrived, covid was still surging. There was no way to even consider my own clinic. That’s when a miracle happened – I got a job working for a beautiful, top-notch massage clinic. I saw 16 great patients a week. I was well received and thrilled to have such a great opportunity at this volatile time when many businesses were closed or not doing well.

I went to work and never thought about the dream of my sweet little massage clinic again.

Until, one day, over a year later, Out of the Blue, completely unexpected, I received an email forwarded from a nearby neighbor. It had a listing for a sweet, cozy garden massage clinic nearby and available. Until then, I had not had one solitary thought of having my own clinic again.

I felt like I had just discovered a giant gold bar buried in my garden. Had I won the lottery? It was perfect! Even more than my old, forgotten daydream.

My wife and I immediately went to see the garden clinic and fell in love with it. And the story gets better.

The naturopathic physician in the main house and the other massage therapist are delightful. The whole situation was so much better than I could have ever daydreamed! It was warm, kind, and welcoming!

We were IN! My wife, my other 100%, is sharp as a laser, and she quickly saw that this would be an excellent move for me. We always talk out our big business decisions, and she was totally for it. I was hesitant to give up my great job at the other clinic. Yet, I knew that I had to say yes to the garden clinic. It was straight out of my daydream and felt like the perfect thing to come into our lives! The bonus was it would allow me more time to follow other dreams, like my freelance writing.

And so, without a second thought, I got out my massage linens, lotions, and supplies and prepared to work at my latest location for Listening Hands Massage. Right here in the Richmond neighborhood on SE 50th Ave., between Hawthorne and Division, 8 minutes walk away. From Maui to the great Pacific Northwest – what a perfect transition!

This story is the definition of serendipity – something good happening, entirely unexpectedly! 

I have enjoyed and been grateful for my time at the other clinic. The people I work with – my boss, the patients, and the beautiful space – have been such a blessing. It’s sad, once again, to say goodbye to so many friends and clients, but at least I can still visit them!

I can say that I am excited to have my daydream come to life and be able to do the work I love to do. The clinic’s garden setting, with the birds playing in the bath and the hummingbirds coming to the feeder, is peaceful and nurturing. And, all my new clients just love it too.

My new adventure in this clinic has inspired me to tell you a bit about who I am as a Massage Therapist:

Helping other people makes me happy at the end of every day.

I approach Massage Therapy with a still mind and calm heart. 

However, sometimes I feel the tension from stress in the body or tight tissues restricting your easy, pain-free movements.

My primary focus is always helping to restore balance, whether you prefer deep pressure or softer, relaxing pressure. 

Balance is vital. It’s how our bodies function the best. I have observed this in clients and found in my own body. 

Massage Therapy is my Calling, my life’s work.

Meanwhile, as daydreams can come true in everyday life, we are all aware that our world has been undergoing trauma and tragedy on a grand scale for the last two years. And at the same time, we all still want to feel better and live our lives as pain-free and relaxed as possible. And be able to follow our daydreams.

I have always agreed with those who say it’s essential to continue creating and building great communities and lives despite sad news. We must continue to be the light, a fully alive and functioning example of what life is supposed to be – lived in joy and celebration. It gives us hope. We fight and suffer against those who would repress us, so we can be free to pursue our dreams of what we feel is meaningful and makes us feel fulfilled.

Let us recognize so many people everywhere living life to its fullest, helping one another, and striving to make our Earth a planet of joy and celebration for everyone.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Aloha, Peter

Peter Black, LMT – Listening Hands Massage and Freelance Writer