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This was an actual question one of my staff members sent me after the tragic July 4th floods. I was at a loss for words when I heard of the tragedy and how emotionally impacted we all were by this event, and here we are one month later still searching for answers. We live in a time of extremes. But for those of us in the Hill Country of Texas, the word extreme became heartbreakingly real when the floods came.
They didn’t just wash over roads—they tore through our camps, homes, parks, and lives. People, including our patients, lost everything. Our team at Body Tonic sat with those who’d lost not just possessions, but loved ones. The grief was palpable. The helplessness was overwhelming. In those days and weeks, the only certainty was this: nothing is guaranteed. Not health. Not time. Not tomorrow.
It forced a question many of us are too busy to ask:
You’re Here, Now What?
Strip away the noise, the chaos, the scrolling—and you’re left with two things: your mind and your body.
That’s all you really own. Not the house. Not the plan. Not even the next hour.
And while the world feels like it’s coming apart—from rising waters to rising stress—if you’re lucky enough to be here, you still have these two vessels to carry you through it. How you care for them becomes your act of resilience. Maybe even your act of rebellion.
Because this modern world wasn’t designed for human thriving. It’s designed for convenience, distraction, and survival. But you are not here to just survive.
After the storms cleared, something settled in. A kind of collective awareness. We volunteered, raised money, assisted the victims, and came together as a community. Patients stopped asking only about weight loss or fine lines. They asked about stress, about grief, about how to feel good again—physically, emotionally, spiritually. These are the tools we seek to heal, stay strong, dig deep and regain a sense of normalcy.
Our team was forever changed. We saw how fragile everything is, and how deeply people need support that goes beyond quick fixes. Our mental and physical health isn’t just a luxury—it’s the foundation for everything else. The floods made that truth impossible to ignore.
We can’t prevent natural disaster. We can’t outrun loss. But we can take care of this body. This brain. This moment.
That means listening when the body whispers before it screams.
It means doing the uncomfortable things: moving, sleeping, saying no, detoxing from the noise and bad decisions.
It means asking better questions. Like:
Health doesn’t mean perfection. It means being awake to your own needs. It means doing what you can, when you can, to support your body and calm your mind. It means remembering you still have agency, even in a world that often feels out of control.
At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how you show up in this brief window of time called life. Whether you’re healing, rebuilding, or just starting to ask the big questions—it matters.
You matter.
The floods reminded us of how quickly things can be lost. But they also reminded us of what’s worth holding onto: strength, clarity, connection, peace.
Not someday. Now.
So maybe the better question isn’t “Why are we here?”
Maybe it’s “What will we do while we are?”
We are holding the Stewart family in our hearts as they continue to search for Cile, the only remaining missing camper from Camp Mystic following the catastrophic July 4 flash flood that devastated the Guadalupe River region of Central Texas.
In honor of Cile’s memory—a spirited and courageous 8‑year‑old described as a “plucky force of nature”—a GoFundMe campaign has been established to support her family.
If you wish to contribute, donations to the family’s fund will provide financial relief and help honor Cile’s legacy. Your prayers, kind words, and support are deeply appreciated as the community continues to seek Cile and grieve with her loved ones.
Everyone’s generosity and compassion matters deeply during this heartbreaking time.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-honor-of-cile-steward-a-legacy-of-light
