For most of you who know me, there is nothing more important to me than family. My earliest and fondest memories are full of images of parties, birthdays, holidays, you name it…
My great-grandmother (my dad’s mom) died at 103 and to her last day she knew so much about me. Of all of our family members, she still knew about little ol’ me. To think about centenarians and their perspectives on life and health… we should all aspire to create a similar life outcome. She would literally run circles around her caretakers and was equally agile in her mind.
I’ve said on this blog before that I am the 4th oldest of 14 cousins and my cousins will tell you how much I deeply care for each of them. My cousin, Sachi, is 4 days older than me and although only a few years older than our younger cousins we took great care of each other – truthfully we are all almost like siblings. I can remember very distinctly the feeling of a new member coming into our family and the challenge of winning the new babies over was one of my favorite things to do… and now with so many nieces and nephews expanding our family tree. Well, I imagine the only feeling greater is having kids of my own one day.
This past month, my girlfriend Victoria and I were engaged. I’ve found it such a powerful difference both tangibly and intangibly – physically and spiritually. But to feel ready for that next step in our shared journey… I had no idea I could love her even more. We have spent the last month looking into our future. Stephen Covey calls it “beginning with the end in mind” but out of this is going to come a vision for our future that inspires us to live full, beautiful and dream-like lives of service.
A couple weekends ago, I missed a party for my grandfather’s (my mother’s father) 93rd birthday. Our family is celebrating at his house they just sold and what a milestone. My mother’s parents are these two amazingly wise people, who in the early 1960s decided to bring their family with 4 young children from Taiwan to the United States. This home, well it’s a reflection of their accomplishments, many dreams fulfilled and a space of love, joy, and more than anything FAMILY.
I realize these stories may seem disjointed but the truth is…
They are my inspiration for everyday of my life and they are a foundation for our values at Future Generations.
This tribe that we are building is going to change the trajectory of health for our county, country and the world beyond. I know it.
We are not ok with
– a third of our babies are born via c-section in a county as progressive as San Diego (the WHO recommends 10-15% globally)
– 1 in 6 children have a neurodevelopmental disorder and we find that many of these start in pregnancy and preconception
– parents are shamed for wanting to maintain their power to parent by getting a medical exemption for childhood vaccinations – instead of falling in line for an untested vaccine schedule that only gets larger and larger despite the increasing number in reported adverse reactions
– pesticides and medications are found in the local water supply and even here we continue to live incongruently with nature’s requirements
– PTs and Orthopedists call spinal arthritis NORMAL and spine surgeries fail so often they have their own diagnosis code, this may seem unrelated but when you understand the nervous system at the master system and the spine the main guardian of that system… you realize there is nothing normal about arthritis and its reversal as a high priority for public health
My father came into the practice this past month because he couldn’t move is neck and like many patients said, “I must has slept wrong.” The truth is that I’ve failed him. I’ve known for almost 10 years that he has a level of degeneration in his spine that must be stopped and my hope is that it is still at a state where it can be reversed… Against what I know to be right, I’ve adjusted him simply for his comfort and ‘maintenance’ but he is so far from the level of spinal health that should be maintained.
But just like many of you who are seeing us for corrective care, he and I will sit down next few weeks see what’s possible for his health.
You see, I don’t just want him around for our kids – Victoria’s and mine. I want him thriving, engaged and active.
I was blessed to know one of my great-grandparents and all of my grandparents. My grandparents were involved all throughout our lives, and even now. My dad’s dad taught us know to swim who seemed like the king of Chinatown in Los Angeles. My dad’s mom taught us about commitment and loyalty. She taught me to always puts ‘family first’. My mom’s dad is a farmer who grows the most amazing Taiwanese fruit and vegetables – to this day he has a vibrant personality and zest for life. My mom’s mom was one of their village doulas in Taiwan and a primary reason why our family bond is still so strong amongst us all.
These are short snippets of some of our greatest family stories that fuel me everyday to SERVE you. But I want these stories for our kids…
If we really think about it, Future Generations is from them to you… my family’s values and their legacy will live on in this practice and movement we have created and are inspired by everyday. I have been in practice for 8 years, in my own practice for 5 and in this space for 3 and everyday… well, it feels like we are just getting started.
For my dad, well, a big part of my mission is to show how incredibly vibrant his 70s can become … November 3rd he will turn 70 and my hope is that he will have committed to his own corrective care schedule and on his way to optimal health.