Losing Love and Finding Peace

Our Dad is retiring today after 45 years working for Pepsi-Co. He is the longest serving employee in the world next to the guy who first brought Pepsi to Soviet Russia and handed a bottle to Nikita Khrushchev. He put his heart into his work – often leaving for his truck at 4 a.m. and working 14 hour days. Sean and I were always so proud of his commitment and work ethic – and no matter how many hours he worked for the company he was always there to coach our sports teams or drive me to art lessons. My one wish is that he was as committed to his physical well being as he was to the company he worked for. Our dad gave up smoking in his early 20′s and is not a drinker. He played Hockey for years but gave that up when Sean started traveling with All-Star Hockey and then later Baseball. His diet was not a priority and after years of getting up and down out of his delivery truck his ankles bother him and he often walks with a bit of a limp. It always makes me wonder how someone whom I love so deeply and who is such an example of dedication, commitment and reliability somehow missed applying these same disciplines to the very basic task of looking after their own health and wellness. Some people will say that at 67 the body just starts to fall apart. That there is nothing that can be done about the years and the wear and tear of life. Despite this I am a firm believer that if you look after your body, your body will look after you. Countless studies have shown this to be true, and some researches have demonstrated that the human body has the capability of lasting 120 years. Why then do we accept that at 60 we are old and worn out? It is as much a thought and belief issue as a physical one. There are BodyRockers in their 60′s and 70′s. There are people who are in better shape at 60 then at 30. I believe it starts with a choice – when do we decide how long we are going to live? When do we willingly give up on our bodies? It’s a choice we can make or unmake at anytime. I hope my dad and all the other BodyRocker dads and moms out there choose to make the choice to Rock life to their personal best.