Miranda’s Goodbye Letter
I have worked at JCA now for a little over 6 years. I started here in my senior year of high school, and over these past few years I have grown a lot & earned two degrees. This winter I was accepted to Johns Hopkins University for graduate school! Because I am moving to Baltimore for grad school this August, my time at the clinic is sadly coming to an end. Before I leave, I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings regarding my time working at JCA.
When I started here, I was a shy & socially awkward high schooler that knew nothing about acupuncture or being a well-adjusted human. Over time, the lovely patients here have helped me come out of my shell and gain confidence in social situations. It took time, but opening myself up to clinic-goers imparted a depth of caring onto me that I was glad to accept. The nature of an acupuncture clinic brings people in on their worst and best days. Because of this, we hope that acupuncture can bring some relief to your pain, improve whatever hardship you are working through, or add that extra sparkle to your great day. Learning snippets of everyone’s lives and becoming invested in their care has changed me from an apathetic teen into someone who always wants to know your real answer to the question “how are you?”.
What I never would have anticipated was feeling such profound sadness after the death of a patient. The pandemic amplified the occurrence of patient losses, and every loss cut a bit deeper. Immersing yourself in a lovely community comes with many perks, but I would count this portion of the experience as the only drawback. Our departed patients won’t be forgotten by me anytime soon. And I certainly won’t be forgetting the wonderful people I have had the pleasure of meeting and laughing with over these past several years.
To the patients of JCA reading this, I want to thank you for making me laugh, smile, and cry. I’ve become a better person because of you all!
Now at the risk of giving too much information, I’m going to share every ailment I have dealt with during my time working at JCA. Over the past 6 years I have suffered from depression, anxiety, stress, back pain, sciatica, allergies, digestive problems, painful periods, migraines, grief (several times), two different cases of the flu, allergic reactions (there’s nothing quite like randomly developing an allergy to a food you like!), a bout of covid-19, and even surgery to remove three impacted wisdom teeth. That sentence makes me sound like a total basket case, but thankfully they weren’t all happening to me at the same time. I have told countless patients, acquaintances, friends, and family members how effective acupuncture can be for a myriad of symptoms or problems, and I always give an honest testimonial of how acupuncture immensely helped me through all of the issues listed above. I don’t think I’ll ever stop singing the praises of acupuncture & Nicole’s work.
Speaking of Nicole… I couldn’t have asked for a nicer, cooler, funnier, or more understanding boss to have during my most formative years (and in general!). Nicole gave me ample room to learn and grow and become who I am today, all while offering unwavering support and gentle healing. There are few people in this world as genuine and wholeheartedly awesome as she is and I think everyone should know it! Thank you for giving me a safe place to grow into myself in a professional environment, and for just about everything else.
My last day working at JCA will be Saturday, July 22nd. In a year and a half I’ll be a Master of Environmental Science and Policy. Acupuncture is definitely going to play a large role in helping mitigate stress during this next life phase! Don’t be surprised if you see me in the room getting treatments when I’m visiting home.
Big hugs!
– Miranda 🙂
