Last year for our anniversary, my husband and I decided to go on a weekend getaway to Quebec. We selected a lovely place to stay and also treated ourselves to a day at the Nordik Spa in Chelsea. We spent the day enjoying the thermal pools and relaxing in hammocks amidst nature. As a treat, I also booked us each an outdoor massage.

It was amazing and so relaxing. As I spoke with my massage therapist, she strongly advocated for the importance of bringing the relaxation, gratitude, and care of the spa back home to our daily lives. She mentioned little self care things we can do for ourselves, like drinking lots of water and going for a walk in the morning, and she said that if I could listen to music while I walked, even better. Eating a handful of nuts everyday and stretching your body were also additions to a healthy self care practice. Her final advice was a reminder to be kind to myself. 

These words, spoken to me over a year ago, were powerful–more powerful than she would ever realize. When I got home from our trip last year I made a note in my phone that I look at every day. I titled it: ‘Cecile says…’ and then I listed all the reminders and suggestions that she gave to me that day.

I have looked at my ‘Cecile Says…’ note every day since last August. It serves as a reminder to check in with myself and it fills me with gratitude when I look at it. I certainly am not about to say that I follow all these suggestions everyday, but I acknowledge that they are there and it gets me back on track. 

This past week the stars aligned and I was able to go back to Nordik Spa and yes, I was able to book a massage with Cecile. I shared with her how important her words had been and what an impact they had on my daily life. She was overwhelmed and gave me a big hug. Through our conversation, we also realized that she and I share the same birthday! What are the chances? 

Today I am thankful for all the Ceciles in the world!