Down 1.8 Pounds! Is That My Birthday Present?

What a roller coaster week! I went from extreme eating to healthy eating, with exercise consistent throughout, and managed to lose weight.

Part of me thinks that is my birthday present. That I don't really deserve it.  In fact, when I started today's post the title was "Down 1.8 Pounds! Must Be My Birthday Present!" Why is it so easy to deflect credit for what we accomplish?

I am going to make a birthday resolution, and that resolution is to start taking more credit for my accomplishments (even this sentence originally read "...to try and start taking more credit for some of my accomplishments"...how wimpish is that?).

Yes I am a male, and yes that means I am lucky enough to lose weight easier (although I think females tend to discount the fact that we gain weight easier...sorry girls) but I am working damn hard.  Exercising intensely at least 10 hours a week and getting back on track as quickly as I can after "blowing it". So it is my birthday and I get to say I am proud of myself even if I did pig out the first half of the week.

To be honest, birthdays don't really mean much to me anymore. They come and go and I hardly notice. But they should mean more because they represent the fact that we are still alive and life is so precious.

As I type this my friend's father is being admitted to hospital for surgery at 8:00AM for Pancreatic Cancer. Another friend emailed me last night to say she couldn't make it to our Martini Party because her and her husband's close friend has just been admitted to hospital with Brain Cancer.

Having lost my Mother, Father, and Sister to Cancer, and close friends to other illnesses and accidents, it really touches a nerve. It makes me reflect on how truly valuable every day and every year of our life is. Today I am the same age my sister was when she passed away. I always knew she died too young but until you reach the same age I don't think you really understand how truly young that is. I miss her so much.

I hope this isn't sounding too morbid for a birthday blog because that is not my intent.

The point is life is short, and we need to enjoy every blessed minute of it we can, and be as healthy as we can so that we can experience as many minutes as possible.

I am thrilled to be alive another year and this weekend I intend to celebrate, but my thoughts will also be with my friends who are going through rough times and their families, and with those who are no longer lucky enough to celebrate another birthday.

I don't pray a lot, and I am not particularly religious, but I am spiritual, and today I will pray for those who I know are ill, and those I do not know at all. I will pray that they have many many more birthdays to celebrate. Please join me. I don't think it matters who you pray to. You can pray to the universe. But pray. That is what I wish for my birthday present. I never thought that that would ever be something I would wish for, but today, it is what I wish for.

I will also raise a Martini Glass (or 13) on Saturday to those who have passed.

I am so fortunate to know, and to have known, so many wonderful people.

Be healthy,

Alan

PS:  Happy Birthday Graeme!