Goldilocks and the 2 Grandmoms
Hello Beautiful People,
There once was a girl with two grandmothers who could not be more different.
I love spending time with my grandmothers. I am very grateful that I have a good relationship with both of them and am basically the apple of their eyes. Yes, I am "The Princess".
They are both in their 80's and in terms of physical health could not be more different even though they were both very active most of their lives.
Mom-Mom was always the strong Ukranian grandmom that was always active in the garden. Grandmom Joyce had six kids and was constantly on the go while keeping a regular exercise schedule (think Jane Fonda).
Today, Mom-mom uses a walker to get around. This is an extreme embarrassment for her so she does not like to walk around. In return, it is now harder for her to walk around because her muscles are not being used. We try to get her to walk around as much as possible trying to tell her that it will get easier the more that she does it. She even got a new hip a couple years ago was amazing through physical therapy. But, that has nothing on the mental block that is there.
Yesterday we talked on the phone and she asked how I was. I said "I'm getting old in the next couple of weeks." She joked that I can never catch up to her. I said I want to be like her when I grow up. And immediately she got frustrated and said "I hope you do. Then you know what it's like to need a walker." It breaks my heart. I can tell her until I am blue in the face that if she walks around more often it will get easier...well you know the saying "can't teach an old dog new tricks". The embarrassment of the walker far outweighs the idea that she can do it.
On the other side we have Grandmom Joyce. She needs a leash. She is so active that it's hard to slow her down. She is out there every day walking her dog or going to the YMCA to make sure she gets her one mile walk in every day. As a result, she's very mobile. Almost to the point where if she is sick with a cold we start to worry about her. She's a tough old broad though (who reads this blog faithfully...Hi Grandmom Joyce! You rock!) so I don't worry too much.
When I go to these running races and I see these senior citizens out there week after week I am in awe. They did not wake up the day before and decide to start being active. This is a lifestyle they have chosen. That's what I want to do when I grow up. And I know that I am on the right track now. The odds are in my favor that if I keep up my activity level I will still remain mobile as I get older. If I had stayed on the Former Fat Girl's path there was zero chance that I would suddenly decide to get more active in my 80's. Besides the fact that the extra weight on my not so healthy bones would have made it even harder to get started.
A lot of the studying I am doing is stressing how important being active not only for your immediate health, but your health later on in life.
I'm not gonna pretend that I know what Mom-Mom's mindset is. I can only imagine that for so many years her life revolved around my Pop-Pop. For years after he passed she stayed very active in her church and with her group of friends. Then she got sick, but she's tough and she beat cancer. So even though she says that she doesn't want to be here, she hasn't quite let her body in on that fact. This is not the life and body she is comfortable with. she then went from being independent and living on her own to living with my family and being dependent on others. She's frustrated. Understandably so. It's a good thing that I got my stubbornness from her then. I will not give up and will still continue to get Mom-mom to get up and walk because I know she can
Have a Blessed Night.
I signed up with Run for Autism again :-)
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/jennifer-henderson-6/RNRPhilly13
****Please note****
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
jhendersonfit@gmail.com
There once was a girl with two grandmothers who could not be more different.
I love spending time with my grandmothers. I am very grateful that I have a good relationship with both of them and am basically the apple of their eyes. Yes, I am "The Princess".
They are both in their 80's and in terms of physical health could not be more different even though they were both very active most of their lives.
Mom-Mom was always the strong Ukranian grandmom that was always active in the garden. Grandmom Joyce had six kids and was constantly on the go while keeping a regular exercise schedule (think Jane Fonda).
Today, Mom-mom uses a walker to get around. This is an extreme embarrassment for her so she does not like to walk around. In return, it is now harder for her to walk around because her muscles are not being used. We try to get her to walk around as much as possible trying to tell her that it will get easier the more that she does it. She even got a new hip a couple years ago was amazing through physical therapy. But, that has nothing on the mental block that is there.
Yesterday we talked on the phone and she asked how I was. I said "I'm getting old in the next couple of weeks." She joked that I can never catch up to her. I said I want to be like her when I grow up. And immediately she got frustrated and said "I hope you do. Then you know what it's like to need a walker." It breaks my heart. I can tell her until I am blue in the face that if she walks around more often it will get easier...well you know the saying "can't teach an old dog new tricks". The embarrassment of the walker far outweighs the idea that she can do it.
On the other side we have Grandmom Joyce. She needs a leash. She is so active that it's hard to slow her down. She is out there every day walking her dog or going to the YMCA to make sure she gets her one mile walk in every day. As a result, she's very mobile. Almost to the point where if she is sick with a cold we start to worry about her. She's a tough old broad though (who reads this blog faithfully...Hi Grandmom Joyce! You rock!) so I don't worry too much.
When I go to these running races and I see these senior citizens out there week after week I am in awe. They did not wake up the day before and decide to start being active. This is a lifestyle they have chosen. That's what I want to do when I grow up. And I know that I am on the right track now. The odds are in my favor that if I keep up my activity level I will still remain mobile as I get older. If I had stayed on the Former Fat Girl's path there was zero chance that I would suddenly decide to get more active in my 80's. Besides the fact that the extra weight on my not so healthy bones would have made it even harder to get started.
A lot of the studying I am doing is stressing how important being active not only for your immediate health, but your health later on in life.
I'm not gonna pretend that I know what Mom-Mom's mindset is. I can only imagine that for so many years her life revolved around my Pop-Pop. For years after he passed she stayed very active in her church and with her group of friends. Then she got sick, but she's tough and she beat cancer. So even though she says that she doesn't want to be here, she hasn't quite let her body in on that fact. This is not the life and body she is comfortable with. she then went from being independent and living on her own to living with my family and being dependent on others. She's frustrated. Understandably so. It's a good thing that I got my stubbornness from her then. I will not give up and will still continue to get Mom-mom to get up and walk because I know she can
Have a Blessed Night.
I signed up with Run for Autism again :-)
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/jennifer-henderson-6/RNRPhilly13
****Please note****
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
jhendersonfit@gmail.com
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