Time is a valuable
commodity; where we invest our time will determine our rewards. But unlike
money, time cannot be earned, it cannot be hoarded, it cannot be passed down
from generation to generation, and in our lifetime it is not limitless. Our
American work ethic often drives us to put off today’s pleasures until tomorrow,
but can we really afford to wait until we have enough to retire before we invest
time with our children? I realize I have turned a little didactic here, but I
have come to realize very poignantly that time spent away from my family can
never be reinvested. Life slips away while we are making other plans to enjoy
life. Malcolm Forbes’ father once wrote “It isn’t success if it costs you the
companionship, chumminess, and love of your children.” He came to realize that
often the wealthiest men in the world “have sacrificed the finest thing in life,
the affection of their family.”
We all have a to-do list.
What is at the top of your list? The year before Daniel’s surgery and before my
realization that I was neglecting my health, the majority of the items on my
list would have been work related. Don’t get me wrong. I still work many hours,
but I have found that my list, now, includes much family time. Can I attribute
this to my family’s interest in DADsercise? I think back to my father, who,
even though he didn’t have access to a gym, wouldn’t have sacrificed the time
from his family anyway. I think back to my mother as she smiled watching her
children climb on the mountain of her husband. She tells her adult children
that she still cherishes those memories. DADsercise triggers a landmine of
memories for me, too. Every time my wife watches or participates with us, her
laughter rekindles those warm embers of nostalgia. Be assured, my wife and I
have always stressed the need of spending time together as a family, but
DADsercise has given my family a way to combine quality family time with a good
old fashioned workout.
I have never had a personal
trainer, but I can see how one would be very helpful.