Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars

Since the temperature outdoors was finally above zero over night, I went for an early morning walk today with a field of stars overhead.  I caught a glimpse of a shooting star as it arced through the sky and began to think about the profound change in trajectory that my life has taken over the past 2 years.  Back then if you had asked me what my life would be like two years hence I would likely have said that my weight would be pushing past the 400 pound barrier, my blood pressure would be out of control along with my blood sugar, my knees and feet would ache constantly, I would have broken yet another toilet seat recently, and my worst fear, that depression would finally gain an unrelenting grip on me, that each day would seem darker than the last, and I would be incapable of experiencing the joy of meeting and spoiling my first grandchild. 

That dismal trajectory is in stark contrast to where I find myself today: 15% body fat at 230 pounds, my blood pressure and blood sugar levels are normal without requiring any medication, my knees and feet rarely hurt at all, no toilet seats have been broken in 2 years (we won’t talk about whether I have clogged any toilets in the past two years, however), and I feel better about myself than I have in my entire adult life.  This is not to say that my problems and challenges went away; they haven’t, but I am more able to address them now in my own particular way. Indeed, the trajectory of my life from here continues to soar ever higher.  My grandson is due in March and I am looking forward to spending a considerable amount of time with him.  Maybe by the time he is 20 and I am 70, he will be able to keep up with me. 

RP