Today I muse...about smiles.

I will never be a triathlete. If I am in the water I am floating. If I am running, you can bet something big and scary is chasing me.

But twice a week my neighbor and I walk our dogs about two miles and three times a week I bike about 8 miles.

I am very fortunate to live in a community that has amazing trails. I am even more fortunate to live about two blocks from a gorgeous trail that surrounds a local lake. Biking and walking is a joy!

This was my view Wednesday morning!!!

I never snicker at the over weight women struggling on the trail…YOU GO GIRL, YOU CAN DO IT! I never shake my head at the 80+ year olds walking or riding the trails…I hope like heck I am still walking and riding in my 80s. The young moms pushing their infant in the stroller and carrying a toddler on their hip…way to go…get those babies outside!!!!!

This week I realized the most rewarding thing about walking and riding the trails right now….SMILES.

People SMILE and say good morning!

For a year and a half most of us have been covering our faces with masks. I still wear a mask out in public and I have had Covid and the vaccine.

Now I am not going to debate pros and cons about masks and the vaccine. Do they work? Who the heck knows…the whole issue has been so politicized I have no idea what to believe and what not to believe.

But here is what I do know. If the only weapon I had to fight off a bear was a stick, I would go down swinging. I doubt I can defeat a bear with a stick but I’m going down with a fight.

Anywho…SMILES! When we get outside for our own health and well being, people smile at us…and it makes us smile!

I know not all of us are fortunate enough to live in an area with great trails…so get out and walk your neighborhood…wave and smile at your neighbors.

If you don’t feel comfortable walking in your own neighborhood, get on a bus or get in your car and drive somewhere where you can get out and walk and smile and wave at people.

You don’t have time?

Don’t give me that. You have time to binge watch Netfiix. You have time to read that trashy novel. Your kid has time to play video games or text for hours on end.

Eat a light lunch then spend at least 30 minutes walking around outside…SMILE at people you pass by. Get up 30 minutes earlier, get a Yeti cup with a lid and spend your “coffee time” walking the neighborhood…wave at your neighbors and SMILE. Instead of sitting and watching your child’s practice, take that time to get up and move! And SMILE!

We all miss SMILES….we all miss that simple human connection. If we need to change our lifestyle just a hair to reconnect, it is worth it! Added bonus…you might even get in a little exercise.

And trust me when I say…most of us not only need the exercise but we could use a few more smiles.

Today I muse...about health and wellness.

Brian was down with a bronchial virus last week so he was struggling to do anything active. I even had to do his vacuuming chore.

This past Saturday was a relatively nice day so I decided to take Cleo for a brisk walk.

I got to thinking.

In my 20s, 30s and really even into my 40s I really took my health and physical well-being for granted. Yes, I had my aches and pains…I’ve always had a crappy back and this thing with my fingers and toes when it is cold. I wasn’t the least bit thrilled when I had to start wearing reading glasses in my 40s. But for the most part I have been relatively healthy and able bodied most of my life.

I took it for granted. I griped about small aches and pains and didn’t cherish the fact that I could pretty much do and eat what I wanted without care or concern. I never really had an issue with excessive weight or having to really watch what I ate. I could work all day on a project or in the yard, and other than being “worn out” at the end of the day, I didn’t suffer too much. I remember a time when I could rake all the flower beds, compost and til, mulch and plant all in one weekend.

Now it takes me MONTHS to get my yard dressed for summer! Now I look at a cookie and gain 5 pounds. Now I project til noon and feel like I have been run over by a truck.

“Taking advantage” meant I didn’t really focus at all on eating healthy and getting REAL exercise. Let’s be honest, running crazy to ball practices, band performances, choir concerts and school functions isn’t really exercise and picking up a Sonic wrap verses eating a ballpark hotdog isn’t really eating healthy.

So I MADE A CHOICE to start taking better care of the most precious commodity God has given me…my body. I have started eating better. We have started biking and we make a real effort to stay active even in the cold months!

More importantly, I am GRATEFUL for what I CAN do right now!

As I have become less comfortable with slinging 80 pound bags of cement around I am more willing to ask for help. Rather than load heavy sheets of plywood myself, I ask for a loader. Rather than wrangling large privacy fence panels into place, I call my son and ask for a few hours of his time! Rather than feeling like I have to get my entire yard done in one weekend, I have learned to enjoy getting out and doing a little at a time. Rather than eating a huge bowl of ice cream or plate of cookies, I grab a handful of nuts or a piece of cheese.

I have come to terms with my limitations.

So I make adjustments to what I can do and eat, and DO NOT FOCUS ON WHAT I CAN’T!!!

No matter what your physical limitations or health issues, there are always CHOICES you can make to do better and eat better.

I remember one time talking to someone (no names) about what they could do to be more active…can’t ride a bike cuz my back hurts, can’t walk cuz my feet hurt, can’t swim cuz the cold water hurts.

I gave up…it was apparent that no matter what suggestion I made, they were going to focus on what they COULD NOT do verses finding something they COULD do!

Focusing on the negative verses finding a positive. NEVER a good thing!

Rather than focusing on the unhealthy things I CAN NOT eat, I focus on all the great things I CAN eat.

Rather than focusing on the things I CAN NOT do, I focus on all the great things I CAN do.

Because, sadly, we can’t go back and change the bad decisions we made in our youth that resulted in the wrinkles (thank GOD they don’t hurt!), the extra pounds and the aching joints!

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Brian and I started zip-lining…IN OUR 50s! It is sooooo much fun. I have a horrible back and I was really concerned it would not be something I could do…but I did it and love it.

We fish….we bike…we walk…we work in the yard.

We get out and enjoy the things we CAN do rather than focus on the limitations of our age and a life time of “body abuse.”

Recently I have had a few opportunities to sell my apartments.

Sweeeet! That was the plan…build them up and sell them.

But here is the problem…as much as I really dislike having to paint and repair and mow and haul and blah,blah,blah,…what am I going to do with myself? Those apartments have not only afforded me the ability to make a comfortable life for my family, they have kept me active! Yes, the years of throwing around bags of grout and sheets of plywood, hauling abandoned furniture and scrubbing floors has taken a bit of a toll on me, but I have accepted my limitations and now know when to call in help.

No matter what your physical limitations are, there is always something you CAN DO to stay active. And keep in mind “active” is a subjective term. For some walking to the mailbox and back may be all the activity you can muster…but BE PROUD OF YOURSELF!!

When Brian and I first started riding bikes we were lucky to ride 5 miles and we often had to walk small “inclines.” Now, we can regularly bike 15-20-25 miles and while we still grumble at the “inclines,” nothing feels better than making it to the top!!!

We didn’t focus on what we COULD NOT do when we first started.

Do NOT be discouraged about what you can’t do or what you can’t eat. Give yourself a break!

Focus ON THE POSITIVES…what you CAN do…what you CAN eat. No, it’s not what “it use to be”…but that really is all a part of “life’s journey.”

Hey, here’s a positive. Not only can I no longer eat what I want or do what I want, but I am also not making the same stupid decisions and choices I made 20 years ago!

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