Be Good To Yourself On The Way Up Because You Will Meet Yourself Again On The Way Down

Hi folks,

The water in Hawaii comes in all shades of blue and green, except where it stirs up the sand or is stirred up by the wind to form white caps.

I must admit that I never really did understand people too well, as they are never quite what they seem. My Mom would always tell us to watch what they do, as opposed to listening to what they say, which is sage advice. Human personalities vary like the sea in Hawaii, some appearing to be clear as crystal, others are more murky or opaque, and yet others are so choleric that they seem to be all stirred up like the sea on a stormy day. But underneath you can never be quite certain of what is going on or the forces that determine their actions, except in the case of most kids. For instance, I have found that you have probably done a pretty good job of life if you can impress your step kids through your actions – they never listen, they just watch!

FitOldDog’s little family, Deb, and his step kids Jess and Nick, in kayaks in Paradise Bay, Hawaii (a great place to stay).

So I was particularly gratified to receive a great birthday card from my two step kids, Jess and Nick, which I found attached to a large bar of chocolate on the morning of my birthday, sitting in the fridge where they knew that I would go for the milk for my early morning cup of tea. They clearly like me, so I can’t be all bad. The trick is to be kind, fair and use disciplined discipline (I learned this brilliant idea from M. Scott Peck, in The Road Less Traveled). Here is my birthday card, written on two sides of a piece of paper, just the way I like cards, attached to a lovely sea turtle fridge magnet (I ate the chocolate):

Great birthday card from Nick and Jess, FitOldDog’s step kids. Their kind words provided a lovely surprise.

So be kind, fair, and above all other things honest, to kids. In fact, I have found that it pays to be kind and fair to everyone if you can, not that that is always easy. And most important of all, be kind and fair to yourself, because if you don’t treat yourself well other people won’t either. Oddly enough this also applies to exercise.

Think about it. If you treat your body and your mind well as you mature, old age won’t be such a challenge because you will have the mental and physical tools you need to handle the aging process, which is not always kind, fair or generous. So, it is never too late to undertake a program of safe exercise for better health, and your kids will be watching and learning from your activity (or inactivity).

-k @FitOldDog