~and I intend so to do~

It will soon be a whole year since my sweet sister Sherry passed away.  June 16th of 2017 seems like yesterday and forever ago at the very same time.  I was blessed to be able to spend this past weekend with her two daughters, my nieces Brandy and Mandy.  We made a quick journey back to Kansas to visit their mom's grave and on the return trip home, we had the chance to visit their dad's grave at Ft. Sill National Cemetery near Elgin, Oklahoma.  It was a good trip, no wait a minute because actually it was better than good.  

It was great!


I've thought about how Sherry and Wes went so quickly, one right after the other almost.  After Sherry passed away, Wes only lived another 7 months or so.  Some hearts are meant to be together and perhaps that was indeed the case with them.  Sherry's health had been on the decline for several years and even though she struggled with COPD and CHF, she continued to smoke on a daily basis.  I'm thankful that she could finally give those cigarettes up, albeit too late, several weeks before she passed.  It was a very addictive habit and one that took her life away from all of us left behind.  I never really understood the power those sticks of nicotine had on her and I just am thankful to have never acquired the taste for one.  

My big sister and I were only 8 years apart in age from one another.  That only sounds like a huge gap when one starts kindergarten while the other enters the 8th grade.  The older we grew, the closer our ages seemed to become.  As we aged well into our 50's and 60's, I hardly even noticed that she was that much older.  Both of us had plenty in common and it was that which drew us even closer than we already were.  We vowed to grow old together and had our minds set upon it.

That didn't work out so well.

I have a desire to live a long life and hey, I'm shooting for at least my 100th birthday in 37 more years to come.  I know it's a lofty goal and I might even be crazy for wishing it, but I don't care.  Someone has to live to be a centenarian and what the heck?  The good Lord above willing, it might as well be me.

I've been thinking about health today and why Sherry didn't make it any longer than age 70 and what I need to be doing to make sure that I have half a chance to make it to the year 2055 without issues.  I may not be a smoker like she was, but I have a plethora of bad vices that are not conducive to making a healthy body, mind, and spirit.  I eat too much fast food and drink too many diet sodas instead of just plain old water.  I could use a much more structured exercise routine and at least 3 hours more sleep a night than I usually get.  It wouldn't hurt me to relax more and worry less, find a simple hobby, and hey maybe even take up some quiet meditation.  Perhaps the greatest gift I could give myself would be the ability to limit my time spent on the computer or on my phone.  There's no shortage of things I could do to start on a track of better health and living for myself.  I figure this summer before my 63rd year is the perfect time to do something good for myself, and you know what?

I intend so to do.

                                                       

 
Ok, ok so maybe I won't be taking up bowling again for an increase in my exercise regime and just to clarify it, I didn't really need to use the little dinosaur thing to guide my bowling ball down the alley.  

It could get to the gutter all by itself, thank you.