“The lessons we learn in life are not always appreciated or understood at the time we learn them.”
I often heard this lesson during my 4 years as a student at Notre Dame. I still believe these words to be profoundly true even though it has been 43 years since I graduated. I have learned so much over the last 43 years and have been blessed to spend 31 of these years in the Michiana area.
I grew up the oldest son in a family of 10 children. I was often responsible for preparing lunches for my nine brothers and sisters. I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, stacking them one on top of the other and cutting them all at once. I was also responsible for performing other tasks which were then evaluated by my mom or dad. Waiting to hear my parents’ assessment of my work was always a trying time. Almost every job was “incomplete” or “not up to par.” I hated those evaluations. I hated being held accountable for my work, and, at the time, my parents seemed too picky and unfair
As I grew up, I actually learned to thank my parents for the service they did me and for the strength of character they helped develop in me. Within my family we may argue about how to bring up children, who to vote for, who is responsible for some dire events in our family history, but there is one thing we all learned that has made us successful as individuals - we are all responsible for what we do. We learned early and often that we needed to work hard and care about what we did. We knew not to blame others for our mistakes.
When I first moved to South Bend with my wife and two children (Mara & Michael), I was very anxious. Would I succeed in South Bend? In Illinois, patients could come to see me without a referral from a physician; in Indiana, this was not the case. I needed somehow to get to know the physicians and prove to them that my physical therapy would benefit them more than the physical therapy they had been using.
During those scary times when I wondered if I would be able to pay the bills, the lessons my parents taught came back and helped me a great deal. As the practice slowly developed, friends asked if I wanted investors to help me get over the hump. They all had more confidence in me than I had in myself. They believed in my abilities and my work ethic, and they were willing to invest in my efforts.
I was tempted to use their help, but my parents’ lessons came to me once again. If I took the assistance, life would be easier, but I wouldn’t be taking full responsibility. I thought it would be the easy way out. I was always told, “You have to be willing to put yourself on the line,” to become a stronger and better person. With these words ringing in my head, I chose the more difficult way and did not accept financial assistance from my friends. By not taking the assistance, I felt more pressure (just as I had waiting for my parents to inspect my work at home.) Yet, because of this, I decided to challenge myself in ways I would not have done before. I would market McDonald Physical Therapy. I hated the thought of going out to meet with physicians. I hated marketing of any kind. Why couldn’t I just open and have patients come in and see me? Nevertheless, I did meet with physicians. I asked them to refer patients who had been to physical therapy or surgery and had not gotten better. I wanted them to send me those patients, and if I got them better, the physicians would know if they wanted to send more. If not, I would go out of business, and they would not have to deal with me again. Patients did come to me for physical therapy, and they talked to other prospective patients. They also put in a good word to the physicians who had been brave enough to give me a chance. Physicians started to tell other physicians. Little by little, my practice grew in ways I never thought possible.
I owe much of the growth of my business to the challenging lessons of responsibility my parents taught me as a young person. I may not have enjoyed learning these lessons, but I thank God for my parents’ efforts and unwavering resolve. I also owe much to the patients who were willing to tell others about the new kid on the block and the physicians who gave me a chance.
On January 12, 2020 McDonald Physical Therapy will have been treating the people of the Michiana area for 31 years! We are not owned by the hospitals. We are not owned by one of the 4 large corporations (with 9 franchises in our area). We started with a dream of trying to touch peoples' lives in a more personal and caring way than most healthcare organizations. Our patients are brought in at the time of their appointment, because we believe their time is a precious gift. We still answer the phones and we still call our patients back to see how they are feeling. We still come in on Saturday and Sundays when necessary to help them with their acute pain.
I began this letter with the quote,
“The lessons we learn in life are not always appreciated or understood at the time we learn them.”
I still believe, at 65 years young, that these words have never been more evident. Our remarkable staff who have believed in our mission for years, continue to bring their energy, love and compassion every day. Many of us have worked together for over 20 years. I think one of the secrets to our success has been because we have had very little turnover in the last 30 years. We have been so blessed to have the chance to help people who are physically and emotionally vulnerable, regain their sense of self-worth as they work to get stronger. I do realize that each patient does not always appreciate the challenging exercises or treatments during their physical therapy sessions, but we do always hope they see and feel the benefit in the end.
During this very special holiday season, we hope you can take the time to step back and think about any lessons you may have been taught years ago that have turned into greater blessings than you could have imagined.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
Fran
