How do health and wellness fit in as a part of your legacy? Let me ask another question to start us on the discussion. How long do you want to be around to be a part of your grandchildren’s lives?
This is the question I’ve been asking myself lately as age and bad habits start catching up to me. The bottom line in this discussion is that barring an unexpected illness or accident, our health and wellness will affect how long we can be an influence in the lives of our grandchildren. Will they have the chance to remember us, interact with us, grow into adult relationships with our generation? For any of us who had adult relationships with our own grandparents, we know how the lasting memories of these very special people impacted our lives.
Contemplating Your Health and Wellness
If we stay healthy and live a long life, we will be able to:
Be present at key moments in young lives
Give advice at both momentous and difficult times.
Share wisdom and guidance.
Give support and strength to young family members.
Offer financial guidance and assistance.
Live as examples of the values we espouse.
Our longevity and vitality can be an important part of our legacy because it means we are present to participate in life. Here are some of the questions both you and I need to ask ourselves in this season.
What is my present state of health and wellness?
How can I engage my grandchildren in my health and wellness? Walk together? Exercise together? Cook together?
What do I need to do to maintain good health and wellness?
What do I need to change to improve my health and wellness?
How does my good health and wellness look in terms of interaction with my grandchildren and activities I can participate in with my grandchildren?
I hope this has given you some food for thought. Writing it has made me think about my own state of health and clarified how much I long to be around to see my grandchildren grow into adults and have their own families. I want to be a great-grandparent or even a great-great-grandparent. What am I doing today to make that a possibility for the future?
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