Today is the day to look back on the year and be thankful for the many blessings I have.
I am extraordinarily grateful to my family and extended family for their presence and
encouragement this year.
In the sense of "what's old is new again," 2020 taught us all about the value of health
in a "new" way — the global COVID-19 pandemic. The news was filled with references to the
1918 flu pandemic, and Americans were asked to curtail some personal liberties for the
good of all.
Last year I wrote, "I think our society may be forever changed by the pandemic — many of us
(going back to the political division) have been wearing masks when outside of our homes
for the last several months, and who would have thought, in 2018, that hand sanitizer
and clorox® wipes would be such hit commodities this year?" Well, looking around the
house, we have tons and tons of disposable masks, and I know right where those clorox wipes
are.
But this year, my thankfulness for health is even greater than what we learned in 2020.
This past April, I completely changed my relationship with food. I was obese, and I believe
my diabetes had begun to affect sensation in my feet. So I decided not only to change my
diet, but to allow my blood glucose readings (and I hadn't read it in years) to dictate
what my diet would be. It was a bold and scary move, to be honest. And I'm incredibly
thankful I made that change. Six months later, my weight is under 225; I'm wearing jeans
with a 36" waist comfortably, and 34" waist less comfortably (BUT THEY'RE ON!) — I wore
32" waist in high school. I have more energy; my key values from blood sample analysis
show levels within or very nearly within normal values — including and especially, my
A1C (which dropped from 16+ down to 7), and cholesterol (which was halved). In three months,
my diabetes became well controlled, and my eyesight actually improved by an entire diopter
in both eyes — one of which no longer requires correction! After all of these shocking
changes, I learned that my wife was secretly very concerned about my health and my weight.
Health has become my top priority, and I'm so incredibly thankful for the encouragement I
received from family, friends, and the medical professionals who consult with me.
2020 is a year in which being thankful isn't nearly as passive as previous years. The
health I'm grateful for is earned by discipline — the discipline to cover our faces,
the discipline to stay at home, the discipline to keep the outside world out and away.
I'm thankful we've been able to remain healthy until now, and I ask for the
strength and discipline to remain as vigilant over the coming months.
2021 really isn't much different, except that for me, the discipline went much, much further.
I've been "eating clean" for six months, and I have seen — actually seen — the benefits.
And so this year I ask for the strength and discipline to remain vigilant, and to remain
healthy.