Yesterday afternoon, I finally decided to face the thing that had been haunting me all week: my errands list.

I had a short window to hit Publix, Home Depot, and Costco and be back in an hour or less. I love challenges like that. My wife doesn’t get it, she sees errands as a chore; I see them as a timed event. She avoids the crowded chaos at Costco like the plague. I, on the other hand, see it as an opportunity to play bumper cars with my shopping cart.

I was already running through my mental checklist, mapping out my route like a NASCAR pit crew. The plan was simple: zip around town, cross everything off, and finally enjoy that rare feeling of being “caught up.”

Keys in hand, mission locked in, I was halfway out the door when my youngest daughter completely derailed the operation with one simple question:

“Daddy, can you take me for a wagon ride around the neighborhood?”

My first thought?
“Wagon ride? Daddy’s about to pull off his own version of Mission Impossible and this wagon is leaving in 30 seconds.”

I kept walking toward the minivan, unfazed for about three seconds, until the wheels in my mind started turning…

I thought to myself, “She’s not always going to be asking for a wagon ride. In fact, pretty soon she’ll be too big to fit in that wagon.”

In fact, I can guarantee you the next requests will shift from “wagon, Daddy?” to “Can I have the car keys… and your credit card?”

So I made an about-face, put the keys away, and said, “Saddle up, partner. We’re going on a wagon ride.” Off we went, me, my daughter, and our dog Calli.

We made it about five minutes before I realized three things:

My daughter’s “light as a feather” days are officially over.

There is absolutely nothing in my F45 routine that prepared me for wagon pulling…my shoulders were on fire.

I thought we’d have a sweet father–daughter chat, but she was passed out in the back like she’d just run a marathon… while I was the one doing all the work.

Come to think of it, that wagon ride was a pretty accurate picture of family life: the kids relax while Mom and Dad do the pulling, and as long as that arrangement stays in place, everything seems to roll along just fine.

Back to my daughter. I looked down and saw her resting so peacefully. Not a care in the world, totally at rest.

Watching her like that reminded me what healing is supposed to look like.

We spend so much of our lives in “go mode.” We hustle, plan, multitask, and check boxes, then wonder why our bodies feel tense, tired, and “off.” The truth is, your body can’t heal when it thinks it’s in a constant sprint.

There’s a reason we call it the nervous system, it gets nervous when it never slows down.

True health isn’t just about moving more; it’s about knowing when to rest. Just like my daughter’s body knew how to rest once she felt safe and still, your body knows how to heal, it just needs the right conditions.

That’s part of what chiropractic care does so beautifully. When your spine is aligned and your nervous system can finally breathe, your body shifts out of fight-or-flight and into rest-and-restore.

Muscles let go. Circulation flows. Sleep deepens. Your body starts working with you instead of against you.

So if you’ve been feeling tense, tired, or like you’re running on fumes, maybe what you really need isn’t more coffee, another workout, or another task checked off.

Maybe what you need is a reset.

Give your body permission to slow down.
Step outside. Breathe deeply. Go for a walk, stretch, pray, or take a real nap.

In all my years of practice, I’ve seen it again and again, if you don’t make time to rest, your body will schedule it for you.

With gratitude (and a few sore shoulders),

Dr. Derek “Wagon Puller” Taylor

P.S. Patient Appreciation Turkey Day – Monday, November 24, 2025

To say thank you for being part of our Taylor Chiropractic & Laser Center family, we’re celebrating with a special one-day event:

Existing Patients

• Schedule an appointment that day and receive a FREE Thanksgiving turkey with your visit.

New Patients

• $97 New Patient Special – Includes consultation, exam, X-rays (if needed), adjustment, and a TheraLight 360 red light treatment + a FREE turkey.

Reactivation Patients (haven’t been in for 3+ months)

• $47 Visit – Includes re-exam, intersegmental traction, and an adjustment + a FREE turkey.

*Due to federal and insurance regulations, this offer does not apply to Medicare or personal injury patients.

Appointments are limited. Reply to this email or call (561) 867-1020 to reserve your spot.