Adira's Destiny

February 2015

Adira sits in silence as the computer screen lights up her face in the dark room, asking her-self the question that seems to be so repetitive in her mind lately, “did I make a mistake?” She had just submitted her monthly student loan payment. Graduation was only two years ago, but the amount of stress she has been under, primarily due to debt, is far more than she imagined possible. Adira has also recently made an extremely difficult decision to leave her position as a Physical Therapist Assistant. It was not that the job did not pay well, or she did not enjoy it, but rather a situation she never expected herself to be in. The doctor that she worked under persistently spoke to her in an unwanted sexual manner. At first, Adira was very thrown off by this and did not know exactly what to do. She knew that allowing it to continue was not an option. Adira always took pride in how she carried herself. She decided the next day that he made a disrespectful remark she would quit on the spot and walk away.

August 2016

Adira is now working as a personal trainer for a small local gym. She had been unsuccessful at finding another PT Assistant position and decided to get her personal training certification. Adira’s aspirations were always guided by her interest in the human body and helping those in need. Having one on one time with clients was an amazing perk in her eyes because this allowed her not to only help people reach their goals, but also build a deeper connection with each person. This was not an opportunity she had at her last job. She has also built up a respectful amount of clientele at the gym, and the stress of debt has begun to lighten up. She is proud of herself for making it this far in such a competitive and volatile career, but she does not feel fulfilled. There is a deep yearning for more. Not more money, or a feeling of success, but something that lights up her soul.

May 2018

It had been a long time since Adira had written in her little black notebook, but she was becoming uninspired and needed change. She sat down on the floor next to her black Great Dane who was snoring as usual and held the book tight to her chest before opening it. She opened the cover, and it read “My Adira, the strong and noble”. Her mother always loved to talk about how Adira meant strong and noble in Hebrew. Her mom believed that everyone has control of their own destiny and that the mind is our only barrier. When Adira received the notebook as a college graduation gift, her mom specifically told her that she was to write one positive affirmation every day that aligned with her current goals. She loved how it made her feel and kept her on track, but ever since her mom passed, she could not bear to write in it. The death took a major toll on Adira because it seemed so unfair and she refused to face the reality of it. At the time, her mother was degenerating at a rapid rate from Parkinson’s Disease. Adira wanted so badly to help her with the knowledge she had gained from studying physical therapy but could never find time. Then one day as her mom was walking to the mailbox, she tripped down the driveway and broke her hip. She seemed to have been recovering from surgery, but unexpectedly passed away in the hospital while she was alone. As she read through her past writings, she came to the last one she journaled, “Find a way to help mom and those that struggle with her”. She slammed the book shut and her dog jumped up out of his sleep.

September 2018

Adira anxiously tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she sat in her car after looking at another property for rent. This was the first space out of many that she thought was obtainable. The location was not the greatest, but it had enough square feet, and rent may just have been in her price range. She had no idea where she would get the funds to buy the equipment needed, but she was willing to risk everything to try. Adira swung open the car door and ran back inside to tell the manager she wanted to apply.

A few days later she received a call saying that her application was accepted, and the space was hers if she was still interested. Adira was so ecstatic she yelled “YES” into the phone loud enough to hurt the man’s ear on the other line. That night as she was doing calculations to figure out how much all of the equipment would cost to open the studio, she started to lose some of that positive energy. Even with the bare minimum equipment needed to start, the price was simply out of her reach. Adira was still paying off her student loans, a car, and rent. She simply could not apply for another loan while getting the lease for the studio space. Adira was not going to give up just like that though, so she decided sleep on it and figure it out the next day.

The alarm rang at 6am and she rolled out of bed instantly. Before doing anything else she grabs her black notebook and wrote “Today I will find a way”. After a light breakfast she laced up her tennis shoes to go on a run in the park near her house. This run was not like most. Adira felt a fire inside her and ran harder than she ever had. After completing four miles she plopped down on a bench to catch her breath. As she sat there thinking about how beautiful the bird in the tree next to her sounds, an older man pushing a stroller walked by. Her eye was drawn to the way the man was shuffling his feet while walking. This is a common symptom of Parkinson’s Disease. The man smiled at Adira and said, “You know what, I think I need a break as well.” and he parked the stroller in front of them both and sat down. He continued speaking, “This is my newest grandson Jerome. He likes to assist me on my morning walks. How are you doing today young lady?”.

“That run really hit the spot, I feel great, and my name is Adira by the way! What is yours?” She replied.

“My name is Henry, it is a pleasure meeting you, Adira.” He reached out as his hand is trembled and shook her hand.

She paused for a second before asking the question she wanted to as soon as he sat down. “I hope this doesn’t come off the wrong way, but do you happen to have Parkinson’s?”

Henry chuckles and says, “Oh you are dang right I do! This disease has been kicking my butt for seven years now. I get out on these walks because it gives me time to be with my grandson but what I said earlier about him assisting me was literal. The stroller helps me stay up right while walking.”

“I am sorry to hear that, my mom battled with it as well,” Adira explained. “I am actually in the process of trying to open my own studio where I can train and offer a community for those with Parkinson's. In school I learned that exercise has a huge impact on slowing the progression of the disease. You might be surprised, but a study showed simple boxing exercises were one of the most beneficial workouts!”

Henry perked up and said, “Well now you’re talking my language! This old man can still throw a punch!”

“Well, I would love to have you come by one day if it happens, but unfortunately, I am afraid It may not be attainable.”

“What do you mean? Why not?” Henry asked.

“I do not mean to burden you with my problems, but I think I went over my head with how much I can afford. The studio is great but getting it started with equipment has proven to be more than I expected.”

“I see,” he said. “How much we talking young lady?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, I promise, I will figure it out!”

“Oh come on, I’m simply curious, how much would it cost?” Henry persisted.

“Ok if you’re that curious! I need around $20,000 to get the place set up.”

Henry scratched his beard and said, “Well Adira, that is quite a bit of money, but you know, the funny thing about money is that it is only good when you have things to spend it on. I cannot tell you the last time I had any interest in purchasing something substantial. Let me ask you something, Adira, do you believe in destiny?”

She attempted to reply but choked up, cleared her throat, and replied, “Yes, I really do. Why?”

“For most of my life I refused to believe it was something that could be real” Henry paused for what seemed like minutes to Adira. He shifted sideways on the bench to look directly in her eyes and said “Look, I am going to make you a deal, Adira. I will give you the $20,000 to pay for whatever equipment you need, and in return, I want you to show me what it is like to live again.”

April 2019

Adira removes the sweaty boxing gloves from Henry as he finishes his workout and sets them on a bench to be cleaned out. She tells him how great of a job he did today while she wraps her arms around him for a hug. As Henry walks out the door he carefully turns around and says, “You know, Adira, a couple days ago I was able to feed my grandson for the first time and I honestly thought I would never get to have that experience with him. You give me the hope and strength I need to continue this fight. I cannot thank you enough”.

As she fights back tears and tries to get out a response, he turns around and yells, “Have a great weekend, Adira, see you Monday!”

She looks up at the ceiling with her vision blurred by the tears that have now flooded her eyes, smiles from cheek to cheek, and says “I’ve done it, mom”.