So since an avid reader brought it to my attention AGAIN that I have not blogged in a while I thought I would get my act together. I have certainly missed it and thought of it often. Here it goes...
I started a new job as the Director of Personal Training at a gym a few months ago. It is the first job that I've ever had that I look forward to going to work each day. Not only do I keep all of the trainers in line, hire, fire and train them all etc. but I also maintain an amazing relationship with all of the members who want to feel like they are not just at another gym but that their small monthly payment makes them someone special. Now that my resume' is out of the way I can get to the meat of this post. The thing that makes me love this job the most is when I meet each new member and transform them into clients of our training department. I spend at least one hour with each new member, mainly so that I can tell them how terribly fat they are and how they need us and will never make progress on their own (in not so many words). Then I am amazed how people will tell their whole life story to someone they only met 5 seconds ago, people love to talk about themselves! I have laughed and cried with strangers. I am always inspired though to wake up and start my day out amazingly and be happy about each thing that is good when these people tell me of their hardships. Let me tell you of some of my clients. I have Susan, who is a breast cancer survivor who is going on a cruise in January and wants to look good again for her husband because after years of being in bed fighting cancer she feels fat and ugly. She is so thankful to be alive and walking around at the same time though. She talks every day about being alive and how great she feels. She has told me of how the doctors removed both breasts in a surgery and then how another surgery gave her new ones then they wanted to do the next surgery to give her nipples again and she said she was finished with surgery so she opted to not get them (I'm pretty sure she had many more that that too not to mention all of the treatments too). She lost her hair and it has regrown most beautifully, it is soft and blonde and has just the perfect flips in it to look like she belongs on the beach. She has lost 15 pounds in 7 weeks and says suddenly her husband can't keep his hands off of her again. She works so hard and smiles so much I look forward to every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with her, what she doesn't know is that it isn't the 15 pounds that changed her husbands feelings but it is her confidence coming back. She makes my day start off great. She thinks she is getting a lot from me but really I am the one who is getting more. Then there is Sharon, who lost her son 7 years ago. He was in his 20's and every time she speaks of him she gets tears in her eyes and gets a lump in her throat. I've cried with her many times. She always asks about Rylan and Rhett, she says she has a special place in her heart for boys. She still has 2 very handsome sons alive (all 3 were handsome). She is still struggling with the loss but feels like getting out of the house and coming to our appointments is what is making her better. She said she hasn't been out of the house really in many years, she does get excited though when we talk about how beautiful her skin is... she says its from her years staying out of the sun. Her husband is supposed to retire from Shell in March so she is hoping to get the feeling back to want to travel and do things so they can enjoy his retirement. I try to tell her that her other sons and her husband need to see her happy and living life again. I can never imagine her pain. I think she is brave for trying to live again. She is my Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Then there is Mrs.Dot, she lost her husband many years ago and hasn't ever figured out how to spend her time alone so she eats when she is bored or lonely. She said her husband used to spoil her and she never had to do anything for herself and now he isn't there so she doesn't feel like she knows how to act. She is 69 and wants to get back into shape and is determined. You can tell she is sad still but I love to make her laugh. Sometimes I wait until she is half done with an exercise and say "Ok that makes 2" lol she usually almost drops the weights because she freaks out and I say just kidding that's 6! Then she almost drops them again laughing. She wants to get rid of her gut I tell her that the laughing will help with it and that's why I do it. Then on exercises where it is timed I wait until she is about 10 seconds into a 30 second exercise and say something like "oh you already started I guess I'll start counting" then I don't even wait for a response that is more than a laugh before I say just kidding you are doing great. There is also a future daughter in law/future mother in law (the wedding is on New Years eve this year) who are training together to get ready for the big day. It is so awesome to see how they get along like friends and I tell them of my relationship with my mom-in-law (I'm lucky, I got 2!) and how not many girls are as lucky as we are. There is also a lady who is so big she cried to me because her kids had a come to Jesus meeting with her and told her she had to do something about herself before she dies like her husband/their father did. You can tell that she wishes that moving your arm from your plate to your mouth would make the weight fall off . The weight of a fork just isn't enough to make a change though. It is going to be a great struggle for her because she doesn't want it for herself and I don't think she really cares either. It makes me sad because I understand how her kids feel. There are so many people in my life who I know that their body has not been taken care of and their life will possibly be cut short because of it. Some of my trainers have clients who I wish I could sit and talk to for hours because they are so inspiring. I have many other clients with great fun stories who are all positive when they are with me but the ones above are the main ones who touch my heart. The point of all of these stories is that people have unknowingly helped me appreciate every single thing in my life. I hope this helps you to do the same. Each time your significant other does something that burns your ass a little remember how lucky you are to have them around. I realized this when Rhett was deployed and I would think back to when I would slam cabinet doors because that obviously would let him know I was mad he hadn't taken the trash out yet. When he was gone I was wishing the trash was full because that would mean he was there to put stuff in it. I was lucky though because he got to come home. The next time your kids make a huge mess or bother you for a sandwich right after you sit down or when they run up a $500.00 cell phone bill, be happy they are here to do those things. The next time someone cuts you off in traffic or when you are having a bad day and things just aren't going your way remember you woke up this morning and didn't have to battle cancer or have another surgery or figure out how to live alone again so put a damn smile on your face and be nice to each other. If you can't seem to find that happy place come see me I can make that happen for you.
This post goes out to all of the people who have been through a tragedy and smile and move on, thank you. Thank you for helping me see how healthy I am and lucky I am that my husband and son are healthy and we are all together and happy! Thank you for making me smile. Thank you for inspiring me to see every glass totally full. Thank you for thinking of me and thank you for sharing your stories with me.
