LIVE STRONG

I've had the yellow wrist band for a while now and I wear it now and then. And no, not because it's trendy. I wear it for several reasons. I love the words on it- "Live Strong." They make me think of my own life and I ask myself if I'm really living strong in my life. Sadly, I don't feel like I have been, health-wise. I feel that by leading an unhealthy life I'm not appreciating the life that God gave me.

So I've been wearing the wristband to remind myself that I have to live life to the fullest and I need to lose weight and take care of my body. I've decided not to take off the band until I lose 10 more pounds. It will serve as a daily reminder of this challenge I'm giving myself.

I think of my sister Hilda who died from cancer at the young age of 42. She was still so young and had so much to do in this life. Yet the cancer came regardless of who she was or what dreams she had. That's the way it usually happens with cancer.

When Hilda died I was 25, young and a little crazy still. Her death affected me deeply because it made me question my own life. I found out that I didn't want to work for Corporate America at such a young age in my life. I left my job and taught for a while and then worked at UH for the Student Publications department.

I loved that time in my life. I felt like I was really living and I will never regret those decisions. I loved teaching and I loved working with older students at the school paper.

I also started to write. I've been writing off an on since then and now at 35 I know that living strong will also mean doing what I really want in life. It's up to me to make that happen. It’s up to me to live life strong.