The Bones are Good
Casa Batllo in Barcelona, Spain. Image credit: https://barselona.io/en/casa-batllo/
Why this image is with this post: No, this is clearly not any medical clinic space, much less Jigsaw Humanity’s space. This is a home in Barcelona commissioned by its original owner to be redesigned by Antoni Gaudi, and colloquially nicknamed The House of Bones. Gaudi’s vision aimed to create a structure full of organic forms and vibrant colors inspired by nature, breaking traditional architectural molds and transforming Casa Batllo into a work of art. I visited this home as a teenager, and its inspiration never left me. These are good bones - standing since 1904, despite never displaying a “right” angle.
March 4th, 2026 was my last official day working for an entity beyond myself. And I’ll be honest: a lot of the last two months has been rest. I’ve been sleeping hard and late, clearly needing to recover from the constant go of life as an employee, wife, mother, soccer coach, show choir alto, and PTA secretary. Over-functioning anxiety is great because you get a ton done; and it’s not-so-great because you never really stop, and frankly don’t know how to. The only way you stop is when you’re forced to.
People always warn that starting a business takes more time than you think it will - and their tone as they say this tends to be in the same vain as if talking to someone who is embarking on a construction project. (And trust me - the two are not just metaphorically related.) But as with construction, it’s easy to fall into the trap of but my project will be different. We justify our earlier-than-average-completion-hopes by saying how we sketched the full blueprint, made a timeline of what’s getting done each day, bought all the materials. I’m doing the work myself, after all - I can hold myself accountable to this plan. I know myself, and how to pace myself. It’s relying on other folks that causes the delays - it’s their delay in timeline, poor planning, over-stretching that results in all that. I’ve got this.
But, as will happen on repeat my entire life because it’s a lesson I will need to learn over and over again, over-functioning anxiety caught up with me. I got distracted and didn’t plan well. I was over-stretched. I slept past my alarm.
The good news is that I did have enough foresight to appreciate how much work establishing this new venture would be, and I started building it gradually, and a bit piecemeal, since last September. As far as the “official” documentation of this business goes, it started January 2nd, 2026. But there was a lot of building to get there - I retained a lawyer and real estate agent, I created a brand, I did SWOT analyses of my services relative to the community I live in, I researched EMR systems and started built mine, I retained malpractice and commercial insurance coverage, and I spoke with a ton of providers to get their advice, compare experiences, and build a referral network. This background work set me up well, so that when I stepped away from my employer, most of my systems were largely in place and ready to go. Jigsaw Humanity had a solid foundation and good bones in its home - legally and financially, JH was open for business and ready to see patients.
Unfortunately, what was not in place was a clinic space - the actual walls. I’ve been looking at real estate since mid-December, and have toured numerous places and put offers on a handful, only to have them fall through when another offer that needs no space adaptations comes through, or the landlord wants a higher rent than I can afford simply because I need a non-load bearing wall taken down to make a functional gym space within the constraints of that unit. It’s been an emotionally trying process - with each new space, I’m figuratively and literally sketching out my dream, then watching it dissolve. While disheartening, I do ultimately believe the right space will come my way, and that I am setting Jigsaw Humanity up well for long-term success by being patient and discerning. But in the meantime, it seemed there wasn’t much else to do: my background work was done, and the space didn’t exist - so, by the grace of God, I was freed (or situationally forced) to rest.
About 6 weeks after my last day, a prior colleague referred one of her patients to me for a Bike Fit, and I did this as a mobile service - going to the gym at the client’s apartment complex and getting him ready for an upcoming triathlon. It went great - I had all the equipment I needed, he didn’t have to transport his bike to a clinic, and it felt so good to work directly with someone again. I took a step back to re-assess: What’s more important to me right now - to serve my community and contribute to my family however I can, or to do that in the way I ultimately envision? Well folks, of course it’s the former. I had been holding myself back from marketing Jigsaw Humanity and getting out in the community because I was afraid if a referral called and asked where I was located and I replied “Well, I don’t know just yet”, that trust would be lost . . . and that’s exactly the opposite of what a clinician-client relationship needs. But in providing this mobile service, I realized trust can be built without an external space - I am the space.
I decided I would lean into providing all my services mobile until a clinic came to fruition, and as soon as the kids’ school fundraiser was over, I would design mobile services marketing materials and hit the road. And then, as it does, life started life-ing again, throwing a curve ball no one ever saw coming. I got an email about the fundraiser: “Hey - my kids are at the school now, and I’m an MD in direct primary care that’s new in town. I’d like to donate a 3-month family membership to my practice.” Excuse me sir, what?! First of all: a 3-month family membership to a direct primary care office is a life changing opportunity for many families at our Title I school. Gaining access to high-quality, personally-relevant healthcare beyond the constraints of socioeconomic resources and insurance status is just shy of impossible for much of our community. What a gift! And secondly, as I wrote back: “. . . sounds like you and I could be strong referral sources for each other. Want to meet for coffee?” He replied: “Yesterday.”
Dr. Chris Kroner and I met for tacos, and quickly learned how our practices align -Ridgeview Direct Primary Care and Sports Medicine is providing direct-access to primary care and injury prevention, evaluation, and treatment, with the goal of conservative healthcare management at reasonable price points, even compared to one’s insurance co-pay. Both our work and values clearly harmonized, and not only would we be great referral sources for each other, Dr. Kroner’s clinic space was not quite full. Tacos turned into a clinic tour, and soon we were discussing Jigsaw renting a treatment room in Ridgeview until I can secure its permanent space. Our missing pieces were a good compliment, and as we put them together they snapped into place.
Jigsaw Humanity continues to hold the space for its work, providing mobile services. Starting June 2026(anticipated, mind you, as construction timelines are always fluid), Jigsaw will bring its foundation to the walls of Ridgeview DPC, and house its Therapeutic Services there until its permanent home is built.
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“When the bones are good, the rest don’t matter.” -Maren Morris
