"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy." - Anne Frank

Today marks the 4th year since my dad's death and thought provoking it has been.  That day, our family's world crumbled.  It was horrible and brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.  I will never forget that day no matter how many years pass.  My dad, I know is with me all the time and today he proved it.

When I was younger, after my dad lost his dad, he would always say that whenever he saw an Irish Setter that it reminded him so much of his dad and it usually happened when his dad was on his mind the most.  I understood exactly what he meant when my dad passed away.  My sister said at his memorial that matter cannot not be created nor destroyed, it just changes form.  We believe that my dad took the form of a monarch butterfly that day and now I'm always reminded of him when I see them. 

I had a nursing exam today and let's just say it was NOT my best performance.  I'm sure I could have prepared more for it and been less distracted by life but like my sister, I have adult onset A.D.D.  :)  Anyway, we are sitting in Mental Health later in the day and the fire alarm goes off randomly and we evacuate to the front lawn.  The break was nice, a minute to soak in some sun and not be cooped up in the building.  We of course, are bitching about how horrible the exam went when I looked over at the Mexican bird of paradise flower beside us and this monarch butterfly flies down and lands on it.  I lost it!  Hi DAD!  A simple sign that I'm headed in the right path even if I've had a horrible day and that he is there with me when I need it the most.  :)  Thanks Dad!  You always knew how to reassure me even when things were at their toughest!  You are my hero and my motivator and for that I am forever grateful.

It's the INSIDE that counts!

As most of you know, I have started nursing school...YAY!  My mind is overwhelmed most days and I find it hard to blog as often as I would like to.  One of my biggest concerns about school, which seems minor now, was when I was going to work out.  I have to say, this has not been a problem.  I still wake up and lift weights with my powerlifting team and I started teaching Zumba classes at the gym and a shortened class to my fellow class mates.  Working out doesn't seem like a chore anymore.  It's something that I've really started to enjoy and if I miss a day, even my nursing instructors notice that I'm not myself. It's a privilege (sp) and now something that I really look forward to! 

But that's not the message I wanted to share.  The BIG deal, the BIG picture I wanted to share is so deep (literally).  I have reeped the rewards of working out.  I've lost weight and I feel so great!  But that's not it either...that's just a perk.  As I'm mulling over all of this nursing stuff and trying to cram every last bit of information into my tiny brain, I can't help but notice that each and every disease we have learned thus far requires a nurse to teach the importance of diet and exercise.  We've been through respiratory, cardiac, urinary, skin, etc. and each and every time, I see the words "lifestyle changes to improve diet and exercise".  We all, especially women, are so concerned about our appearance.  Stop focusing on that and start focusing on what is happening on the inside while you're making these lifestyle changes.  You are strengthening your vital organs which will in turn decrease your risk for so many diseases and prolong your life.  Even if you are just doing 30 minutes a day, that is something and your innards are LOVING the attention and let's face it, your outards will start reaping the positive rewards too.  Most importantly, you are moving to a new HEALTHIER, BETTER YOU!