Facing your mortality

Very often it takes a major life-changing event to come face-to-face with your own mortality. Well, I looked it in the eye last night. Thankfully, not due to my own problems, but saw it just the same. I spent all last night at the hospital - my sister (usually referred to, and known to many of you, as The Bitch) had a mild heart attack last night. Very mild, thank goodness. She is 44, morbidly obese, diabetic, hypertensive and hypercholesterolemic. Add in our family history of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke and she was an accident waiting to happen. She is ok right now, thank goodness, but it sure brings to the surface how short life can be. How much we all need to take care of ourselves. How important liking yourself and being happy is. How much we need to appreciate those around us who love us. How much we need to not take all that for granted.

My sister has done very little of these things in the past 10 or 15 years. My fervent prayer (aside from the obvious - I hope she is ok and recovers fully) is that she and we all begin to do all these things. Take care of ourselves, eat right, exercise, learn to like and love ourselves - warts and all - and if we don't like those warts, get rid of them. Do what makes us happy, but not at the expense of others. Remember that there are people who love us, and treat them with the respect that deserves. Love often and love well. (Not that - get your minds out of the gutter *g*. OK, maybe that too!) Understand that those around us can't be perfect and that to have that expectation is an invitation to unhappiness for all involved. Lessen the stress in our lives as much as we are able. Don't sweat the small stuff. Is it such a trial to let someone else win a battle once in a while? Pick your battles and let the rest go. And be happy.

As I sat in the hospital today and listened to her complain about the smushy broccoli, and that they didn't give her enough food, and that the doctor didn't come in when he said he would, and that the room was ugly, and that she wanted to go home, I wondered if I should tell her about all the studies that say that happy people live longer? Or about the study that says people who have dogs that they love live longer? Or about the study that says that people who eat right live longer. Or about the study that says that people who exercise regularly live longer. Or about the study that says people who have regular sex live longer? Maybe she knows all that. For all our differences, and they are many, she is my sister. Perhaps I'll just tell her I love her. And save the rest for tomorrow. And hug my husband and kids. I suggest you all do the same for all those people in your life.