Three Tiny Events

Have you ever had that mystical feeling that stars are aligning, giving you a message? Well, three events -- small, in and of themselves -- have aligned to make TODAY the start (How many times in my life have I said that??) of something FANTASTIC!! The start of me working towards a healthier body!!

Now, I know what you're thinking ... "I've heard Yvonne say that about 23 times in this blog already!" Did I read your mind?? I don't want this time to be about what the scale says, and I really, really need to stick to it -- for more than two weeks :):)

EVENT #1: About a week ago, I traveled with my students to a Health Careers Fair in Lillooet. Represented there, was every health care professional imaginable, from registered nurses to paramedics to doulas. Each station had many free take-aways to encourage the students to live a healthier lifestyle. I picked up a "Health & Wellness Daily Organizer". Each week is laid out on a double page, with daily spots to record food eaten, exercise, and emotional health. In the spot set aside for "respecting tobacco" (I've never been a smoker), I'm recording how many glasses of water I drink. A "wellness tip" starts each page, and "I'm grateful for ..." is the last thing I will write before flipping to a fresh week.

EVENT #2: Just before February 11th, my precious daughter, Kate, sent me a surgery survival kit. In it, was the February issue of "Ladies' Home Journal". The issue seemed made just for me!

Inside were articles such as ...

• "Short Hair is HOT!" -- phew! Got that covered!
• "My Sister is My Best Friend" - now true after my cancer battle
• "Get Healthy and Blast Belly Fat in just 6 weeks"-- how did the magazine writers know that I now DO have enough belly fat for the alternate breast reconstruction? Yikes!!

I'm not calling it coincidental that the belly fat article has exactly the same number of weeks as my RUNClub clinic -- I'm calling it "a sign from God"! Far from gimmicky, the suggestions are down-to-earth things like curb your sweet tooth, put on your walking shoes, cut back on salt (ouch! that one hurts!!), and work in strength training.

EVENT #3: RUNClub!!! Yesterday marked our first official run together. Approximately 30 of us set out at 8:30 a.m., putting in 45 minutes and covering 4 kilometres. It seemed a slow pace (5 minutes walking; 1 minute running), but I'm pretty sure I've given up in the past because of doing too much, too fast. Imagine living in a tiny town, and meeting three new people who I've never seen before. Thank you Sharon, Lisa, and Fayleen for your company and conversation along the way. The social environment of yesterdays session made the time zoom by. We also have the "playwork" assignment of fitting in two more walk/run sessions on our own before next Saturday. Next week I will ask if any of my new buddies want to get together to complete the playwork. Misery Exuberance loves company!!

I'm putting my best foot forward!

I'm sticking to it!

I'm loving myself by caring for me!