Life Lessons...From My Cousin John

This has been a rough week...my wonderful cousin John passed away a few days ago, and we had his memorial service last night. He was only 58, but he left behind a lot of amazing memories and a gift of life lessons to all of us. Here are a few that hit home with me:

Do what you're passionate about. John always followed his passions...computers, technology, and science fiction were the main three, and he always gave his all to everything he did. He also loved playing blackjack and went to Las Vegas, Reno, and Atlantic City every chance he got to play as often as time and money would allow. If you love doing something, go do it. Make the most of every moment you have on this earth.

Take care of your health. Unfortunately, John gives us this lesson because he did not take care of his own health very well. He was severely overweight and diabetic, and although at times he tried to take control he didn't stay with it. I firmly believe that he would still be with us if he had taken better care of himself. Do everything you can to get fit and healthy, so you can be around for a long time...to live your dreams and spend more time with your loved ones.

Family is important; don't let too much time go by. This is another lesson learned the hard way. At John's memorial service, there were some cousins, aunts, and friends of the family that I hadn't seen in years. Some of my cousins' children are already grown up and we all missed out on a lot of time together. We are working on keeping in touch much better...we want to start making the time for each other so we don't only see each other at funerals. As with John, we don't have unlimited time on earth so we need to find the time in our busy schedules to spend time together. Call that relative that you haven't talked to in a long time...or stop by to see them. Don't wait!

Now that John is in heaven, we need to remember these lessons and make the most of them. Rest in peace my dear cousin....and as my cousin Tom said yesterday about his brother, "Warp speed...into the new world."

Family Summer Shape-Up - In Session!

It's officially the start of the Memorial Day Weekend. Even though the calendar says it's not really summer until mid-June, we all know that this weekend is the accepted unofficial start of the season. The weather here is beautiful, low to mid 80's, with plenty of sun. Baseball practices have already gone on, and I've done outdoor workouts on several days. It feels so good to get outside and walk, run, play tennis, and just enjoy the day.

Even though we have already been getting more active and eating better, Operation Family Summer Shape-Up has now begun. You know I'm down 35 pounds, and now my son has already lost four pounds. We are working as a family so all of us can get fit and healthy. Going for walks and playing tennis together is a big part of our summer. Eating less junk food is also on the agenda, along with consuming more fruits and vegetables. My son is learning to drink water most of the time instead of sports drinks, juices, and sodas. We don't even have soda in the house. We may have one on a rare occasion when we're not eating at home, but even then most of the time we drink water. We are watching our portion sizes now more than ever.

The great thing about having this Summer Shape-Up is...we are setting goals over this weekend, to be completed by Labor Day. We will still be checking in weekly to see our progress, but having a bigger goal to work toward will keep us motivated and in motion. I challenge all of you to start your own Summer Shape-Up. Just think how far we will all have come by the start of September!