This Wellness Thing

Let's get to what this blog is about. Wellness. What is this "wellness" thing? I think what I'll do is define wellness by examples in my life.

My children are an example of wellness. My life would be less "well" without them. Actually, I cannot imagine my life without children. When my older kids were young, I heard a quote, don't recall the source, which has resonated in my life ever since. It goes like this, "We are not put on this earth to teach our children, but to learn from them". I can't begin to tell you the lessons I've been taught. Wellness is your ability to "learn" your lessons, to "adapt" to those changes that face us every day.

I was speaking to a man in my office today. He was talking about his upcoming wedding and his 50th birthday, also coming up. He left and my wife, who works with me said, "You'll be 5o this year too. He seems so much older than you." I would have to agree with her, he does seem older, wiser, more mature. Maybe I need to "act my age", be more mature, stop doing the things that a younger person would do. Maybe I need to act like the grandparent that I am.

Then I think of those children of mine, what would they do? They'd live life, they'd get down on the floor and play, they'd run through puddles, they'd pee their pants and they'd grab the opportunity to experience everything life can dish out. To me, that's wellness.

"Life is not about getting to the finish line in pristine condition, with pants pressed, shoes polished and you hair freshly done. Life is sliding into the finish line with nothing left, a tattered wreck, covered in mud, cut up and scraped, screaming "whooo-hooo what a ride", knowing you've given your all."

I don't know who said that either, but I love it.

Dad, OXOXOX