Ready for Life’s Challenges
Did you know that every move you make towards optimal health is preparing you for life’s challenges ahead?
Let me ask you another question - If you could get 10 minutes of time back, what would you do differently? Who would you choose to spend that time with? What would you say to that person?
The Life Changing Moment.
My father had an episode last week that literally took the life out of him for close to 10 minutes. Even though it was the first time for this to happen, it was enough of an episode that it became life-altering for him and life changing for me.
Last weekend, my Dad and I were having dinner at the dining table. My Dad had returned to Chautauqua with my family andI for the week following my son’s graduation to complete some work on his own father's estate/home.
Here’s how it happened.
Dad was doing too much- yard work, dump runs, painting and fixing up. And by dinner time, he seemed relaxed. We were eating, having a drink, smiling, and laughing together. Everything felt normal.
Next thing we knew, my dad was stone cold white, head down, barely breathing, unable to move.
We immediately went into emergency mode, calling 911. My friend, Kara, steadily listened for a pulse, while I, as calmly as possible prayed over him loving words of affection and believing it was the last time he would hear my words.
Nothing mattered in those 10 minutes except the words I was pouring over my father.
I prayed so that he would hear my voice, my love and affection, and hear me repeat his wife’s name, my sister’s name, his family.
The 10 minutes felt like an eternity of time. When will the EMT’s arrive? What is next? Are these my final words to my father? What more can I say other than how much I love him, adore him, and appreciate him.
A noble man.
My father is a veteran, pilot, teacher, and leader of service. He had a long career in the military, and after retirement, did not stop there. He kept providing support for students, teachers, and veterans.
Although he is retired, he still volunteers most of his time at the local veterans office, local food bank, and hours of time at his church in service to others.
I know how amazing my Dad is, and he is thankfully alive today so that I can tell him all of this.
The outstanding local Chautauqua County EMT’s brought him back to life.
What happened next, shocked me.
Dad went to the hospital in an ambulance with a low blood pressure and slow HR where he endured an EKG, CT scan, all of the tests… only to be told that he could go home and be monitored for a week until he can get back to his cardiologist.
Wait? WHAT?!? That’s it? After ALL of that? The thoughts were flooding my mind… What if this happens again? What if it was something more? How do we deal with this if it happens again? What happens if I am not there? Or my sister? How will my mom handle this?
Sometimes, we don’t have the answers. Sometimes, it’s literally out of our hands and we just do the best we can with the situation we have before us.
Lessons from these moments.
There are a few things I have learned about health over these years that has allowed me to still feel better than ever before during these long, sleepless nights at hospitals.
You must take care of yourself to take care of others well.
You never know what might happen and you cannot expect that you will “catch up on sleep tomorrow” or “start next week”.
You must practice your healthy lifestyle routine as consistently as possible, so that you can handle the hiccups, the challenges, and the stressors of life.
How to Hold onto your Health in Challenging Life Moments:
Though, I will re-play those 10 minutes over and over in my head for a while, here’s what I held on to and let go of in my health practice this past week:
I let go of WORKING OUT. Strength is important, but it’s an added stress to your body. So, if and when stressed, let it go.
I held on to NAPS - short bursts of time with my eyes closed to rest my head and steady my breathing. I am not a napper. But this short, fixed time helped steady my thoughts.
I let go of what I cannot control which in this case was, FOOD. There were no grain bowls, yogurt bowls or smoothies. There was no protein counting this past week. There was quick and easy take out and fast food. And prioritizing water in between. That’s the best I could do and it was enough.
I held on to LISTENING. Listening to the doctors, listening to my friends. Listening to my kids. Listening to my mom. Longer spans of listening led to longer spans of contemplative thoughts.
I can’t get those 10 minutes back, but I do know I can continue to soak up every moment I have here now with my Dad, my family, and all the while take care of my own body so I am ready for what life throws at me.
What might you need to change right now to benefit your health for the challenges ahead?
