Recognize this family? Yep, they’re mine.
They weathered through a 98-degree summer day to get these photos and some footage for our HCA Heart Health commercial for one reason: heart health disease is a killer, and I know. It killed my dad at age fifty.
When I was fifteen, he died suddenly of heart failure. Luckily, one of the last things I ever said to my dad is “I love you.” I can’t tell you how thankful I am for that. I appreciate sympathy, but honestly, it’s been twenty years since he passed away (I’m giving away my age here!) My real point in telling this story is so that people understand why I was chosen for the HCA Heart Health Network commercials, and that there is a real motivation behind my desire to run and to help other women acheive some level of fitness–whether it’s running, walking, or chasing tricycles. We’ve had a blast with our Run Like a Mother team with Stroller Strides and are thrilled that we’ve grown to forty-five women training for the 10K!
Just a few days ago, my soon-to-be eight-year-old son asked me, “Mom, why do you have to run that race?”
I was trying to figure out his reasons for asking me this. “What do you mean?” “Well, you always have to run while we play in the kids’ play area at American Family. What’s the big deal, why can’t we just go swimming?”
So I shared with him the reason why I was asked to be in the heart health commercials, that the grandfather he had never had a chance to meet passed away much too soon. “Well!” my mature little man exclaimed, “why didn’t you just tell me that before?” Then he declared that he was going to start running with me.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m no health nut, I’ve done plenty of damage and struggle to make myself excercise, so I’m not trying to preach to anyone. I just hope that by telling my story that I can help other moms, and continually remind myself, that taking care of our own health is imperative if we want to take care of everyone else.
HCA cares about women’s heart health and is offering free heart health tips simply by clicking this link. It’s free, it’s simple, and most of it is common-sense type stuff we are supposed to be doing every day and just need a little gentle nudge to push ourselves in the right direction.
Let’s try to take better care of our hearts this month, Richmond moms. Our families will thank us for it:-)
Comment on this post