Blue Motion Fitness Inc - YEAR 50 daily truths

I want to be a Dandelion

7/26/2023

Dandelions are resilient.
No matter how many times they are pulled out of the ground, or burned with pesticide - they grow back. In fact, they grow anywhere, regardless of the conditions. Powerful and strong!
That's what I want to be. I am done with being such a whiny orchid. I want to be powerful and strong like a dandelion!
For the next 6 months I am going to build on my physical strength, and work on being powerful in character.
At the very least, I will regain upper body definition. At the most, when I look in the mirror I will see the legacy of strength left to me by my mom.

Baba's Legacy

7/12/2023

Today would have been my grandmother's 99th birthday. Also this year, I am the age she was when I was born.
Being her first grandchild, I was the lucky one to receive all of her attention and love. She lavished me with songs, stories, play and delicious foods. Even as other grandchildren arrived, my Baba and I continued to share a very special relationship.
The happiest memories of my childhood were with my Baba. Playing at the park, running barefoot at her farm and her patiently repeating my favourite story, as we walked to our next shopping destination in Roncesvalles, Toronto.
She fascinated me with stories about her childhood and her grandparents. My young mind just couldn't imagine my Baba as a child with her own baba. I also remember telling her how she would never grow old. Old people were boring and she was so much fun!
My Baba has been gone for 16 years. The greatest gifts she left me are forever treasured in my heart. One day, if I am lucky enough, I too will be a loved grandmother and my Baba's legacy will continue.

Cobra Chickens

6/21/2023

Canadian Geese. Also appropriately known as Cobra Chickens. They are not exactly know for their friendliness. So, imagine my surprise when a family of 2 adult geese and their 6 goslings attempted a visit with me!

I was enjoying my yoga fitness practice on my Stand UP Paddle board, anchored in the middle of the Eramosa River, in the Rockwood Conservation Park. The key word here is "anchored". Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a family of geese approaching me. Startled, I realized that they were actually headed directly toward me; one of the adult birds had its mouth open and its tongue wagging at me!

Again, my SUP board was anchored. There was no time to up anchor and avoid being nipped. Instead, I reached for my hat and paddle for my defense.

"No, no, no, no ... off you go - GO AWAY!" I said firmly, waving my hat to encourage them to retreat. It didn't. The adult bird was trying to get on my SUP board with a couple of the goslings!

Again I waved my hat and paddle. Not dissuaded, the family swam to other side of my board to mount their attack. After two additional attempts, the adult geese seemed bored and lead their young further down the river.

Naturally I reached for my phone to take their picture ...

Nova Scotia

6/21/2023

Travelling is not my thing. Flying to destinations is definitely NOT my thing. However, I have made a few expectations in the last 49 years. As a toddler, my mom and I travelled to visit her Azorean family. At 18, I flew to France with a folk dance ensemble. At 30, my toddler daughter and I flew to Georgia to visit my mom. Now at 49, I took a flight to visit Nova Scotia with my dear friend Jaye. Still HATE flying - but with her support, I was able to cope.
Thank you Jaye for inviting me to Nova Scotia, for helping me overcome my fears, and sharing a most memorable week.

Friendships

5/29/2023

Last weekend I had a lunch date with a couple of friends. Both ladies are members of an aquatic fitness classes I taught before the pandemic. We had great conversation, laughs and delicious food, (of course!).
I am very grateful for their friendship.
How fortunate I am to enjoy the great spectrum of friendships I have made over the last nearly 50 years!
With all the ups and downs in life, the all too many times I have put my foot in my mouth or am a complete flake - it is comforting to have friends that accept the real me.

Family Fun Means Family Time

5/29/2023

My daughter is an adult and my son is an older teen that looks incredibly grown-up. Sometimes my arms ache for their little toddler hugs, but I really am enjoying the present with them. Attending arts and cultural events with my daughter is a great pleasure. She is such a great companion. My son and I do appreciate very different pass times, but we do enjoy having long conversations about various topics. Hopefully my friendships with each of my kids will continue to grow as they progress through their life.

To lay down a strong foundation for our future as an aging family, my husband and I have always insisted on doing certain things, such as:

1. Eat evening meals together. Super hard sometimes with our various work and social schedules but it happens almost every night!
2. Grocery shop, complete house chores and projects together. Sharing the mundane moments of life as a family unit can be tedious but with everyone pitching in, we have a better respect for each other's time.
3. Asking each other how was their day and listening.
4. Attending events together.

That is why on a very hot Sunday afternoon, despite being exhausted from work, we attended a ball game with our kids and enjoyed a meal together that evening. Yes, I totally went to bed immediately after supper - but it was totally worth it!

Believe me, we all get on each others nerves. There is yelling. LOUD yelling. Our relationships are not perfect but they are strong.

Family Legacy

5/23/2023

My maternal great-grandmother had many children that provided numerous grandchildren and countless more descendants. Both she and her daughter (my grandmother) raised their families without the benefits of running water, electricity and all the comforts we take for granted. Without a doubt, these women worked very hard and were exhausted. Yet, when my mom spoke of her grandmother, with a smile she recounted happy memories of Christmas traditions, sleepovers with cousins, feelings of love and kindness.
When I think back to my maternal grandmother, I too smile with happy memories of delicious chicken soup, warm hugs and good times.
I witnessed the strong bond between my mother and her mother. They had a friendship, full of laughter, tears, angry words and forgiveness.
The gift of a mother/daughter friendship continued in the relationship I had with my mom. But I was cheated. Both my great-grandmother and grandmother lived much longer than my mom.
Fortunately the legacy of our maternal family line still continues with the friendship my daughter and I share. We laugh, cry, get angry and forgive. The incredible women we came from left us traditions based on love and kindness to share with the generations to come.

Self Progress Report

4/12/2023

In 24 weeks I turn 50 years old. Last August (when I first came up with idea of blogging about the goals for my 50th year) the idea was to share perspective on my daily life and encourage me to focus on goals and actions for a better year. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that my life is SUPER boring, as is my perspective on life. Still, writing did help me gain a better understanding of myself, so I decided to continue. Being open about my struggles and triumphs also connected me with kindred spirits!
Well here goes...
My progress report:
Completed goals:

emerged from the depths of despair
reestablished SUP Guelph
recertified aquatic certs
reestablished my fitness schedule

Surprise Accomplishments:

attending the PRO 2023 conference
recertifying my NL in October
visiting a dentist
booking a plane ticket

Goals that are in progress:

completing land fitness certifications
returning to aquatics full time

Change of plan/unexpected/fail:

CN tower climb
knee injury
blogging daily

Sharing my triumphs remind me that I am capable. The fails remind me that I did pick myself up and survived.
Funny! I began this blog to help me stay focused on my goals. But now I am too occupied with the activity of accomplishing goals and maintaining my new lifestyle to write about it. Further proof I am no writer.

Don't be a JERK and just say NO

3/20/2023

I dropped the ball.
Unfortunately, when I drop the ball … I tend to trip and drop a few more. Then what was a simple mishap is now epic. This could all be avoided if I had simply just said the following word:
"No."
This is not even about saying no to others. It is saying no to myself. It is about me facing the fact that I have limitations. It is about reminding myself to choose quality over quantity.
So, don't be a jerk and just say NO.

Borrowing Belief to Kickstart Your Own

3/14/2023

12 years ago, I mentioned to my husband the idea of returning to my aquatics career. I remember the moment clearly. The words "I want to get back to the pool and develop a fitness career" were said out loud before I could think! A fanciful daydream shared with my life partner after a day of changing diapers, wiping little noses and cleaning up after my home daycare.
My husband interpreted the conversation differently. He went out and purchased swim tickets. He believed in me and gave me his steadfast support.
He gave me so many tickets that I still had a hand full left 12 years later.
Thank goodness.
The last time I was swimming regularly was just before my mom passed away. Then COVID closed the pool. Depression robbed me of my motivation. My swim bag was pushed to back of my office and forgotten.
Then one day, after months of hard work climbing out of the deep depression well, I was ready to get back to my swim routine. Pulling out my wallet, I found the last few swim tickets. The power of Derek's belief in me still radiated from them.

Author

Rather than experience this aging crisis alone ... I am inviting you to join in on the fun! I am on my way to 50 years of age. As I journey towards that 50th birthday, I will share my daily thoughts, triumphs, and disappointments. Don't worry it is not going to be all that good or polished - just honest, raw, and perhaps a bit of a train wreck.
Why share? Good question! In case there is someone out there also struggling with aging and would enjoy a laugh and connection. I assure you there will be no preaching. You will most likely not gain any useful tips - mmmm, maybe on what NOT TO DO.
Enjoy

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