Thanksgiving will soon be here. It is a time when normally we would meet and spend time with family, and unfortunately, COVID is taking that away from a lot of people. Even though this whole year has been different, and Thanksgiving tomorrow may be different, that does not mean you can’t sit back and appreciate the 4 H’s in life: Home, Health, Happiness, and Hope.
Through all of this year, I still come to the same conclusion: There is no place like home. I hear it now more that I ever do, especially with many patients of mine being in the nursing home, or an assisted living. Home memories bring back times when we were young, and our kids were young. The happy times. And, just a place where you can relax, do what you want, and get away from everything else going on in the world. Nothing can replace Home!
Especially when our kids come back home to spend time with us!
Nothing like having fresh home made cookies, and having your kids wantto spend time with you again!
Pay the cost to keep ourselves healthy, or pay even more later when we try to get our health back. Invest in yourself early on, and the dividends are far more profitable. We feel better, we can do more, and will feel like we want to do more. I hear it everyday from patients who don’t have their health anymore.
Why do you think we work out every day? Is every day doing this fun? No, but I feel better when I do. Not every day is perfect. It never is. But the good days then are even better, and the days that would not have been good, turn out to be not so bad after all. Invest in yourself. What could be better than this? Everything you invest in yourself pays you dividends in the long run ( pun intended, for we do many long runs!) Work for what you have, including your health.
We can choose to be happy, or miserable. The choice is ours. We can also choose to do something about it as well. We are in the driver seat. Choose wisely! We have one life to live. Eventually this pandemic will be over. We have to have hope that there will be an end to this all. The sadness that comes from all of the people who are not surviving. We all have to hold one, and focus on the first 3 H’s by trusting in the 4th H.
I hear people everyday telling me how they can’t wait for this pandemic to end. I am right there with you. I don’t know if there will be a “normal” again, but there will be a new way of doing things. Can we learn from this? I HOPE SO. Can it teach us to appreciate things more than before? I HOPE SO!
Have a little faith. Spend times with the people, and pets in our lives. They are all right by our side through all of this. Dakota is always one to show love and always be by our side when we are having a tough day. Dakota never holds any grudges, never dwells on the bad days she may have. Every day is new adventure for her, and a time to look at the bright side of life. You know, we could really learn a lot from a dog! Focus on our home, work on our health, maintain our happiness, and know that hope still remains. Focus on the 4 H’s to get us through. Keep moving everybody! And have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 605
