Originally posted on Facebook HERE

I was up early today… I’m pretty much always up early, but today was like 2:30am. Ridiculous. I’ll probably take a nap later…

I’ve been feeling a little “out of sorts” lately. I think some of it has to do with health issues, mostly my left knee, which now has been confirmed to have not only two meniscus tears and a strained MCL, but also a bone bruise and a couple small fractures. What did I do that created that? I have no idea…

My doctor wants me to really rest the knee to heal the bone bruise before doing anything else. He even asked me to use a cane as much as possible. So, no lifting weights. No running. No yoga. And I’ve already been doing that for at least the past two months now. So, now — no walking Gizmo, either! Ouch…

And I can feel it. I’m so used to doing all that stuff every week that — well not doing it is taking its toll. I’ve gained a few pounds, and I was sick this week as well, missing work on Wednesday. And the leg pain is also still making it hard to sleep. I guess I average maybe 5 hours a night, often getting less than that.

It really hammers home the mind/body connection. Today I came up with some things I could do on a daily basis that wouldn’t strain the knee but would allow me to at least feel like I’m staying somewhat physically fit. And — whatever happened to meditation? Adding that back into my routine would be a good thing as well.

Your mind starts to mess with you during times like these. Walking with a cane? Ugh… that’s not me. Not me at all. And way in the back of my mind there’s this voice that starts to wonder, you know — is this my future? Maybe the last run I took will be the last run of my life… you know, those types of thoughts. Who am I kidding trying to lift weights and run and play in a band and do yoga at my age? See what happens? You’re gonna hurt yourself, Grampa — here, have some pudding…

Damn.

When my mom was in a nursing home for twelve years I’d go visit, often at mealtime, and look at all the people there. This was just one home out of many, and they all seem to be full up, too. And I’d think “I wonder what their lives were like? Every person in here was young once. They experienced love and laughter and sadness and anger. They had jobs. Many have children. We all think we’re going to lead a life of meaning and purpose. Many of them probably did exactly that, and it’s sad to see this be the end for so many of us…

I have no idea what the percentage of people are who end their lives this way, but I’m really glad there are people who care that are willing to work there, and treat our elderly with love and respect. I know there are many who only do that job for the paycheck, too — but many of the people who took care of my mother did a great job for what I think is ridiculously low pay.

And it’s the circle of life, right? Some days you’re the caretaker, some days you’re the patient. As we age, and the certainty of death becomes more and more real every day… it becomes more important to spend our moments doing the things we love with people we like to be with.

The high school reunion Facebook pages always announce the latest deaths, too. I see them and think about that person, some who I haven’t seen or talked to in fifty years and I wonder what their life was like, you know? I’m always curious about the lives of other people. How did they meet? Where did/do they work? What were/are their favorite things to do? What were/are their favorite places to go?

A few years back I came up with the idea that I wanted to have lunch every week with somebody just to sit and talk about our lives. I still think it’s a great idea. Imagine the knowledge and friendships you’d gain if you actually did this. I have 5,000 Facebook friends, so I’m pretty sure I could do a lunch a week for the rest of my life and never get to all of you. In reality, I tried doing it but… people cancelled last minute, my time is limited, it only lasted a couple weeks. The lunches I had were awesome, though.

How do we live lives of meaning and purpose? I think we have to do everything we can to being the best versions of ourselves that we can be. We keep ourselves as physically fit as possible. We watch our nutrition and sleep habits closely. We keep our minds young and vibrant — we don’t have a choice about our bodies, but we don’t need to let an old person take control of our thoughts. And here’s the most important thing of all:

We do everything we can to help anyone we can whenever we can.

Whatever that is for you. It can be as simple as giving to a GoFundMe campaign. Caring for a loved one. Calling or going to see a loved one, or a friend or family member going through a tough patch. Or just being a role model for living a life of integrity. Being honest and forthright. Maybe even looking for ways to surprise and delight others as well…

So take care of yourself today. To me, that’s job number one. But be on the lookout for any chance to help others along the way. Because sometimes the best healing comes from a shared experience. And often the giver gains more than the receiver. And the only moment we have is now…