A sad day of reflection...

This morning I got online only to discover one of my online's friends son tried to commit suicide yesterday.  Thank God he was unsuccessful and is now in the hospital getting the help he needs.  What a shock it is when something like this happens.  A few years back I lost a nephew to suicide and I remember with clarity the thoughts and emotions that went through my mind when that happened.  Life is short, too short!!

It seems some of us know extremes on both ends.  There are those that are diagnosed with a terminal illness that are fighting for their lives with every breath they take, wanting to live and relive every second, every moment they have here. Then there are those who's mental state strips them of the value of life - making every problem seem monumental and creating an anguish that appears insurmountable - fooling them into believing their only option is to exit life as quickly as possible.

Most of us fall somewhere in between - not really able to contemplate either of these extremes.  But have you ever taken inventory of your life and actions to see which end of this scale it would appear that you are?  For example, I consider myself a happy person.  I love my life - my family, my children, my job, etc.  If you asked me I am a glass half full kind of person.  And I would never in my right mind consider suicide an option. 

However, I'm well aware of the risks that obesity plays in my life.  I know that it increases my risk of diabetes, heart disease and even some types of cancers.  I realize that it is and will continue to diminish my quality of life - stripping me of the ability to do many things that others take for granted.  It may possibly even rob my children and husband of many years with me that they may otherwise have had. And yet for the majority of my life, I've made a conscious decision to over eat or eat those things that I know I should not.  I've also made the choice NOT to exercise as much as I know I should - deciding to hit the snooze button instead of getting up and working out.

While these choices could not necessarily be considered the equivalent of the misguided choice someone makes when they take their own life, I had to recognize that it slid me further over to that side of the extreme than I had earlier thought.  I mean if I were one of the people fighting for my life and I knew that all I had to do was eat right and exercise in order to add years or even decades back into my prognosis, do you think I would still be hitting that snooze button???  I think NOT!

I guess the point to this whole post is that no one really knows how long they have here - only God knows the number of our days.  I may die in a car accident tomorrow.  But I may live a lot longer...and some of those years really are up to me.  I can make choices now that could give me years and even decades back...and I can improve the quality of my life with these choices.  Those things are up to me!

From this day forward, I choose life!  As much as it is within my power to do so, I'm going to work hard to improve my health and add value to my life.  And I will pray for those people who's minds have betrayed them into thinking that life does not have value - I will pray that God will show them the truth and love that surround them, through the people in their lives and the God that created them.

Stats:

Weight 214.5
Accumulated miles: 2.99
BMI: 31.5
Body Fat %: 43.7