Massages and Smiles

Last night as part of my husband and my Valentine celebration night out, we went to see the Chinese masseuses (is that the plural?).

Now if you have never had the pleasure of receiving a massage, I feel for you! My husband and I receive a massage regularly by the same woman. But a visit to the Chinese people, well, that is a special treat. Now if you are what I call a "martyr"Christian and do not "believe" in such "self pleasures" then please do not comment to me on the sin of self indulgence. Not only is a massage one of life's great joys but considered a commodity to physical and mental health by my husband and I.

So we walked the mall briskly with determination to find our pleasure makers. Soon we find the Chinese man (unusually large in stature for a Chinese man, thus I nick-named him the Chinese man with the big hands) smiling brightly to us. "You like a massa-?" Ireply, "Is there just one of you tonight?" See, I had envisioned my husband and I relaxing side by side. Well, table beside table. He looks at me blankly and I can tell that I am not being understood. I point to my husband and I and say, "Two of us." He looks out into the mall in search of what I understand to be his partner. "Bathroom." I continue trying to communicate about hitting certain problems areas, but pointing to the areas is enough. Past experience in my attempts to engage him in small talk proved no more fruition except toothy smiles on his part. So with the three of us understanding that the "two" of us want a 45 minute massage, my husband lies down.

I have mentioned this Chinese man with the big hands before on Facebook. I have been his visitor a few times having been left with a spectacular experience of relaxation. This time I sacrificed my own satisfaction and "let" my husband go to him. He has chronic neck and back problems and I wanted him to experience a body massage with the big strong hands making my husband's physique into pliable putty! I was in no less hands as I was lying at the table next to him getting massaged by a Chinese woman.




Situated in a small store site at our local mall the dimly lighted massage place is still enticing. Yet, one wonders at first how relaxing the experience can be with mall shoppers bustling about yards away. Kids yelling, adults yelling occasionally for that matter. But soon the soothing music being played and as the massaging strokes begin I DO relax and I think that I even enter that Alpha state of complete relaxation. Her hands work like a therapeutic machine in waves and strokes moving over every muscle, even in muscles that I did not know I had. I will not go into more of a pictured description except to say that I could almost feel liquid endorphins flowing through my body. You have to try it.



After 45 minutes my husband and I stood feeling almost as though in another world. We were completely relaxed and gave a big smile and "Thank you" to our two attendants. After all I realized they understood THAT.





So my pondering points for today?





ENJOY the good things life offers.





ENJOY them with the ONE you Love.





And always SMILE- it is the universal welcome and endorphin giver.