I have been a massage therapist here in Brevard County for close to thirty years. I can tell you that one of the cool things about being one place for that long is the generational factor. When I first started my business I was in my twenties and I worked on many young families, parents, and children and was referred to their Grandparents and Grand children, Aunties, Uncles and so forth. Throughout the years I have watched these children grow up, and I have helped the formerly young families cope with aging parents. Many of my longtime clients are more like family than clients.

There was a time when I had an office, but for me, it was confining. I prefer to be mobile. I don’t envy people who have offices that they slip into for an hour with their client. While that option is fine for them, I prefer the chaos of a household! I like walking into a house where the kids are clamoring to help me set up my table. Where they are excited to see me, and they always want to get the first massage. I like to see the family cat thinking I set up a tent just for her. To have her crawl under the sheet and nibble at my toes when I least expect it. I laugh when the Labrador hides under the table to be near the children. With its backside hanging out! haha.I can’t see you ..haha

This month I realized an entirely new and different benefit of my work choice. I was contacted by a cute couple, friends of my daughter whom I have known since she was in school with them. They had never had a massage with me before, at least not an official one; I was always rubbing away someone’s boo boo when they were kids! But they knew what I do for a living, and when they needed body work, I was the first one they thought of.
This young lady had just run a marathon, and if you have never done that, let me tell you, it is tough on your body no matter how well trained you are. She was in pain, so she called on me to come and make her feel better. Her husband, friends with my daughter wanted to be massaged as well.

It was such an honor to work on the two of them. We had some laughs as he reminded me I was a tough Mom, who the kids knew not to mess with, but was also generous with her time and took them to every concert they asked me to bring them to. He told me how grateful he was to know my Mother, Grandma Aggie, who made them homemade cookies and spaghetti and watched out for them after school. He said how lucky they were to have the wisdom and kindness of elders in their youth. In a time where so many children their age came home to empty houses and parents stretched too thin, he and other friends of my daughter had a safe, warm place to land, with plenty of good food and maybe a dose of tough love.

The next day I worked on the adult children of a friend of mine whom I have known all their lives. They were so glad I made them feel better and we reminisced about fun times in the past.

Last, but not least, I heard from another young lady whom I have also known for her whole life. Her Mom, who was my best friend for many years, and I were a big part of each other’s lives. I have become a second Mom to her and her sisters. She messaged me said I need some Valentina hugs and massage!!  Sniff sniff.. I said send me a plane ticket and I will come! She said really, you’ll come see me if I buy you a ticket? I said sure! Well, guess what I found in my e mail later that day? Yup I’m on a plane the 21st to go visit my Katie girl.

I am so grateful for every drop of love that I shared over the years…because the shower of love I feel raining down on me now is so nice, so sweet, and so wonderful.
There are hills and valleys in every career. Those valleys can make you wonder sometimes if all the hard work, all the energy you pour into people is worth it. Then there are weeks, like this one, where things come full cycle, and people you love show they love you right back. Love is Infinite.

Valentina Boonstra

Massage Therapist, CNA