The absurdity of politics in all our families’ business

The unwritten rules of being the child of leaders of a newish school. Apparently not ok to say in my professional bio that I’m the daughter of Tai Sophia’s founders.

Which is kind of funny because well, it is who I am. I grew up at Tai Sophia (it was TAI back then, but anyhoo). Being that my parents are the founders (also known as Bob and Dianne) dinners at home were also Tai Sophia. When I was eightish and the School of Philosophy and Healing in Action was being birthed it was in my kitchen, in my mouth, my mother teaching me to make direct requests and how to accept, decline or counteroffer. When I was ill it was acupuncture before pills doctors or anything else.
When my oldest son was sick and I a scared mom with a febrile infant ready to go to the E.R. it was Simon, founder of the Master of Herbal medicine program at Tai Sophia who picked some ground cover ivy that I dried and made into tea for him.
When I presented my first patient to the class many students affectionately call “Bobservation” I decided to tell the audience that Bob was my dad- why would I put the pink elephant on display when what I really wanted to get to was “can you help me help my patient?”

Theoretically I understand that maybe people will get that from my last name (which is in fact one of the many reasons besides laziness and continuity and feminism that I haven’t decided to change my name yet.)  Then again, my sister in law, who also works with us is also a Connelly-Duggan with a very different history.  And so if I change my name to Fountain, which in solidarity with my husband I’d like to do I then start as though acupuncture is not already a part of me?  Do I say then, that I’ve only been practicing since I began my formal training in school, which has way more to do in the end with licensing and regulations and degrees than with what it is I actually practice?

Again this weekend I was privileged to attend a conference called “Building Bridges.”  It was Qigong and herbs and acupuncture, and really moreover about how and who we are as humans and how we keep making ourselves up as free and new as babies.  Babies don’t give a good gosh darn about calling for their parents or using their entire bodies to yawn.  And so here I am, mother daughter, colleague and wife, grateful that I “tagged along” to that conference with my parents and that just maybe out of that I formed a connection that will help all of our children in schools recover their own well of being.