The Story: I’ve known Robin for a long time. Like, since I was 18 or 19, long time. I started seeing a chiropractor when I was 15 to help with the headaches I got almost every day after school. When I went away to college, I would come home some weekends and squeeze in my adjustments on Saturday mornings when there was this young, vibrant blonde named Dr. Bruck on duty.
Robin has kept me walking upright through a lot of stuff that’s gone down in my life. There have been car accidents, broken hearts, falls, sprains, whiplash, bulging discs, my stiletto years, my migraine years, my sick years, my doing-way-too-much years and, more recently, my actually-taking-care-of-myself years.
Through my twenties and into my thirties, I adored her but thought Robin was pretty “out there.” She used to try to get me to do cleanses or give up white sugar or white flour for periods of time – none of which I thought were actually possible. She’d talk to me about her psychic or workshops that she wanted me to go to. I’d chuckle at her, smile and tell her I didn’t think so. That “stuff” wasn’t for me.
Well, isn’t the Universe just chuckling at me now.
In the past seven or eight years, I’ve done several of her suggested cleanses (with interesting and mixed results), one of which had me fasting completely for five days. I’ve actually done that one a few times. I’ve changed my diet, almost completely, thanks to her guidance. Today, I’m in the middle of a gluten-free, dairy-free period after recently being diagnosed as dramatically gluten intolerant and fully lactose intolerant by a naturopath.
I’ve also followed her as she finally lured me “out there.” At a particularly difficult point in my life several years ago, she told me point blank that I was going to go see her psychic and mentor, Bill Burns. She then informed me that she was going to sponsor the visit so that I couldn’t cry poverty as a way out of the appointment (as I had a few times previously).
I can very clearly mark that first appointment with Bill as the start of a journey of personal growth and discovery that has made a huge difference in my life. I suppose it goes back further than that, to when she helped me change my diet, which helped improve my physical health – probably as a foundation for improving my mental health, if you want to look at the big picture. Or, going back even further, to her working on me all those years, laying the groundwork and softening me up for the inevitable day when she’d tell me “it’s time.”
Interestingly, my mom has always been “out there,” too. She’s been interested in and involved with a lot of the same stuff that Robin has put in my path. But you know how it is with kids and moms sometimes: A huff of the breath, a roll of the eyes, and an embarrassed or dismissive “muh-om” give way – slowly – to an understanding of why your mom was into something in the first place.
Today, Robin delights in my successes, always an excited clap, nearly jumping up and down, and a “squee!” when I tell her about some fantastic new development in my life – like that I met the love of my life (finally!) or that my business is growing or that I’ve found some new thing that I love to do and it gives me joy. We’ve become wonderful friends and I cherish her dearly. Sometimes I’m amazed at the impact that one person can have on a life, as Robin has had on mine, and I’m not sure I could ever thank her enough for everything she’s done for me.
The Drink: Angel’s Kiss (Absolut Evolution)
I knew that Robin’s drink was going to have something to do with angels since I long ago dubbed her my personal angel. We sat down for lunch that afternoon, after my having an epiphany on something that had been bugging me, while I walked to the restaurant. I had a whole story to tell her but first we had to figure out our drink. I consulted Dr. Google for suggestions and saw the Angel’s Kiss, which sounded appropriate right off the bat. Then, when I looked at the offerings at the restaurant and saw that they had Evolution, my favorite white wine, and Absolut, it all came together. Not only is an Angel’s Kiss, appropriate, but Absolut Evolution is a great tagline for everything that’s come about thanks to Robin’s loving influence.