I’ve recently realized I’m petrified of becoming my mom.
Not emotionally, mind you… but physically.
Like me, my mom had massive issues with walking…..
But unlike me, she allowed herself to balloon up in quite the mini-melon.
She passed away a couple of years ago from the thing she feared the most…. cancer.
That’s the topic of a whole ‘nother post, mind you.
What’s on my mind today, however…..
…Is that as I am getting older, I am finding it more and more difficult to get around.
5 years ago or so, I earned a black belt in karate.
5 years ago or so, I could jog 1.8 miles UP during my beloved 2.4 mile circle walk.
5 years ago, I was in the best shape of my life.
3 years ago, my ankle collapsed…. and I had it fused.
2 years ago, I had additional exostoses removed from my left knee.
And during the past year, I gained 10 pounds back.
I’m currently reversing that weight gain but….
I vividly remember staring in the mirror a few months ago and asking myself:
“Why bother? I’m just going to decay like my Mom did!”
That feeling didn’t last long….
But it did lead me to research:
- Weight loss for handicapable folk
- Elective surgery like tummy tucks
In other words….
Stuff I *could* do to prevent further decay or feel better about myself.
ie….
“I might soon require a cane all the time…. but heck, at least I can look great physically by losing weight/getting rid of the skin shelf from my 4 pregnancies!”
or
“The universe doesn’t give a damn about me…. I’m the only one who can change my future. And if I choose to do nothing… nothing changes.”
Empowering thought, that.
Your takeaway?
If you feel destined to repeat history and become your parent, remember the following.
You cannot change the past….
But you can always use that past to springboard into the future.
Take advantage of that.
Grow strong,
Mama Bear
