Ramblings and Rumblings

I was greeted at the door by Chessie as I juggled the groceries I had grabbed on the way home from work.  The temps had dropped to 6 degrees by the time I had arrived home, and I welcomed the warm rush of air as I entered.  Simple pleasures and ushered thanksgiving.  

After putting the groceries away, I made a pot of coffee.  My coffee cup in hand, I eagerly made my way to the sofa, snuggled into my favorite blanket, a velvety red-and-black plaid microfleece , and blissfully sipped my coffee while channel surfing.  The perfect night to snuggle.  Watching TV felt strange.  I rarely watch TV, but tonight I was eager to hear the weather report on the local news.  They call this a Polar Vortex.  Crazy cold!  How cold will it get…?  Thankful that I had nowhere to go, nothing to do.  Winter had arrived. 

I’d gotten an email earlier in the day while in court from Zach announcing that his Christmas package had finally arrived.  I giggled when I paused between hearings to read his email from my cell phone: 

“Package arrived finally.  Yes, you read that right.  It's here."

I quickly emailed back:  “SWEEEEET!  Talk to you tonight on Skype.”

Around 8:30 p.m. I set up my laptop by the Christmas tree that I’d intentionally left decorated for Zach so that it would feel more festive opening his gifts.  We Skyped with him for about 45 mins, watching him open his gifts from us as he chomped on the Christmas candies and goodies I’d attempted to vacuum pack (thankfully) to preserve their freshness in transit.  I’m sure if they tasted bad or stale, he would never have mentioned it.  He seemed eager to devour treats – the good stuff-- from home.  

Pour guy.   Japan’s idea of “candy” is rather obnoxious and unappetizing.  He’d sent our family a tray of gourmet candy from one of the local shops there.  Nasty stuff.  Maybe it has to grow on you?  Not sure.  There were two pieces that looked like dried oysters.  And a couple others that were green-tea flavored??? Nah.  I think I’ll stick to America’s version of “sugar plums.” Butterfinger Santas.... Russell Stover chocolate-covered marshmallow Santas... chocolate truffles.   Zach has lost weight (of course he has!) since he first arrived in Japan in August, and he’d asked for new dress khaki’s and a new belt, two sizes smaller.  He seemed appreciative of his new clothes and planned on wearing them that morning to work.

  

After signing off with him, I announced to my husband that it was time to do our push-ups and planks.  I had informed him yesterday morning that we were going to start doing this P&P routine three times a week, with a progressive approach.  It was the very least he could do if he wasn’t going to make an effort to go to the gym with Colton or me.  Of course, he wiggled loose, coming up with a lame excuse to get out of joining me in the family room floor.  Rather than waste my breath in protest, I completed a few sets of pushups and weighted planks on my own and then headed to bed – frustrated. 

Will he ever give a shit?  

As I was leaving for work this morning, he came downstairs to get my approval on a new shirt I’d gotten him for Christmas.  I wasn’t going to lie to him just to make him feel good.  It looked nice, but it was too snug.  He agreed, announcing that rather than buy bigger shirts, he was going to “lose this weight.”  I told him – for the umpteenth time – that it would be far easier to lose the weight if he’d start lifting weights and spend 30 mins a day 3 or 4 times a week doing some form of exercise.  He flinched and whined and didn’t want to hear it, but at the same time he agreed that he was going to “try.”

My mind toggled to an article from last Sunday’s Parade, “Going the Distance,” about a 94-year-old retired school teacher, who, at 77, entered her first “masters” track and field competition.  The article was so incredibly inspiring, I read it at least twice through and have archived it.  Quoting from the article.

“We think longevity is probably about 70 to 75 percent lifestyle,” says Angela Brooks-Wilson, Ph.D., a geneticist in the Genome Sciences Centre at the B.C. Cancer Agency in Vancouver.  That means just a quarter of healthy aging is about the protection you inherited, and up to three-quarters is determined by how you play the hand you were dealt.

In the last six years+, health and fitness has become an inseparable part of what defines who I am as a human being.  It is quite possibly my single biggest passion.  At the risk of coming across as a relentless bitch, I cannot back down.  Maybe I’ll never get through to him, but I won’t stop trying.  I won’t quit.  Quitting isn’t part of my vocabulary.  We have to take responsibility for our health and well being.  We aren't getting any younger, and this is no longer rehearsal.  It is about quality of life.  It's time to take things seriously.

We owe it to ourselves.  And to each other.