“Wait a minute, give mommy a chance to catch her breath.” My sons were born less than two years apart and I’m so lucky they were well behaved little ones. As when they were preschoolers, if you know my fitness journey, this phrase was uttered by me more often than I like to admit. Said in third-person, I believe, in a subconscious effort to separate myself from that mommy that was so easily winded. These energetic little boys that would just become faster and more athletic, like their older sister, had to reign themselves in. At least they had their sister to keep up with them when she wasn’t in school, or my husband when he would get home from work and each other as long as they didn’t go outside of my sight line. How sad I feel for that mama that adored her family so much, but herself, not enough. That young mom thought she was being selfish if she put aside time that would be for her alone. This wiser mom, notice that I did not say “wise”, knows that when she finally looked at the bigger picture and what the future might hold, that taking care of herself WAS taking care of her family.
My daughter is a young woman now and my sons are teens. With my husband, we hike for miles together when we travel. We usually look for something with a challenging ascent so we can take in amazing views of wherever we are. We’ve ocean kayaked so we can glimpse the periphery perspective of our vacation paradise, becoming aquatic mammals of sorts. The experiences we share, I know have created memories that we all look back on and speak of with passion. That is not to say that memories can not be created without physical activity, but I am able to give to myself AND of myself no matter what it may be.
That I can take what I’ve learned and help another experience life fuller makes me as giddy as Cookie Monster in a cookie factory. God blessed me with the courage, 8 years ago, to step into my passion for fitness so I could share it with others. Funny thing is, some might look at eight years and see a long time. My friends, I’m just getting started and my passion is still growing. My eyes, it’s true for me that they are a window to my soul, are on the constant lookout for whose life I can change. From tired mommy to fit mom, my vernacular has changed… “Wait a minute, who can I give a chance to catch and own their breath?”