Accepting My Brother’s Challenge
Over the course of the last month and half, I’ve taken the time to make sure that I’ve recovered from the shock of my Mom’s death. I’ve made sure I’ve gotten plenty of sleep and I’ve worked on making sure that I’m eating right – not too much, not too little, and that I’m not over-indulging.
While giving my mother’s eulogy, my brother pointed out the obvious – my mother died of a disease that didn’t have to happen. If she would have taken better care of herself, she would have never gotten diabetes and all the subsequent complications that came with it – kidney disease, dialysis and a host of other problems. His challenge to us the day that we memorialized her was to take care of ourselves – eat the right food and exercise.
He’s right. Mom died of something that was preventable. But because she wouldn’t make the needed changes, Mom ended up with a life that ultimately did not involve a high quality of life. There is nothing more frustrating than hearing your mother say “I really wanted some, so I had some of ________” even though it was contra-indicated for her condition.
Throughout the years, we (my siblings) heard a lot of excuses – “I’ll exercise when ___________. I can go to McDonalds and have ______________because the dietitian says that it’s better to have a little bit than to crave ________.” These excuses set my mother up to fail. And it’s easy to see why, in some respects, she did. I received literature from the American Diabetes association that says that it’s OK to have sugar if you are diabetic. How does this set someone up to succeed at managing diabetes or other food related illnesses such as heart disease, cancers, and stroke? They don’t.
If I continue the course that I have been on for the past few months, I will die an early death. Dying early is not an acceptable option for me. I want to live into my 80s, 90s, or 100s and prove the statistics wrong. I want to live a long and full life with my partner-in-crime, R. But that won’t change without a shift in thinking and doing. And my mother’s death is the impetus for making exercise and food habits from sometimes goals to ways of life that I live day in and day out.
I’m not expecting this to be easy. But if my resolve to change my lifestyle makes the difference in one person’s life, then it’s worth it. So Mike, I accept your challenge.
