What I Hope My Daughters Learn From Watching Me Be a Chiropractor

What I Hope My Daughters Learn From Watching Me Be a Chiropractor

Sophie and Aimee have never known a version of me who wasn’t a chiropractor.

They have grown up around adjustment tables, nervous-system conversations, patients, animals, office responsibilities, and a mother whose work is woven into everyday family life.

To them, this may simply be what Mama does.

But I hope they are learning something from watching me.

I hope they learn that a woman can become a doctor, own a practice, raise a family, and continue building new dreams.

They do not have to choose between being nurturing and being powerful.

They can be compassionate and decisive.

They can care deeply for others while still becoming leaders.

I hope they see that our hands can be used to help.

My hands have adjusted newborn babies, pregnant mothers, working adults, senior patients, dogs, cats, horses, livestock, and animals struggling to walk.

But chiropractic has also taught me that helping someone is not about taking credit for everything their body accomplishes.

It is about listening, serving, and creating the conditions that allow healing and function to emerge.

I hope my daughters learn to respect the wisdom within their own bodies.

I want them to understand that health is not something we should ignore until a crisis demands our attention. Caring for ourselves is something we practice throughout life.

I hope they learn that education doesn’t end when we receive a degree.

They watched me return to school when I was already a doctor. They have seen me study, travel, take courses, ask questions, and become a beginner again so I could learn to care for animals.

I want them to know that expertise is built through humility.

We become better by admitting there is still more to learn.

I also hope they see the parts that aren’t glamorous.

Owning a practice means solving problems, making difficult decisions, navigating uncertainty, and continuing to show up when the day doesn’t unfold as planned.

There have been moments when balancing motherhood and chiropractic felt overwhelming.

But I hope they do not interpret the difficulty as evidence that women shouldn’t pursue meaningful work.

I hope they see that worthwhile things sometimes require resilience.

Most importantly, I hope Sophie and Aimee understand that their lives do not have to resemble mine.

They do not have to become chiropractors.

They do not have to own businesses.

They do not have to follow a path simply because it is familiar.

I want them to discover the work that makes them feel useful, alive, and connected to a larger purpose.

Whatever they choose, I hope watching me has taught them this:

They are capable of learning difficult things.

They are allowed to lead.

Their compassion is a strength.

And they can build lives that make room for both the people they love and the purpose God placed within them.

Chiropractic is the work I was called to do.

Raising two daughters who believe they are capable of answering their own callings may become one of its greatest legacies.