A night/day of reflection

6 years ago on this exact day I was driving across country having some one way, angry conversations with God, wondering my father had to die. At the age of 62 he was healthy, living life on his own terms, and was my best friend. As parents get older you start to think about them not being around and you can sort of set yourself up for it, but nothing could have prepared me for the out of the blue phone call from my Brother.
My life was so upside down for the next 6 months, it was all I could manage just  to keep my job, everything else was in shambles. Giving up was constantly in my mind, I had my pistol in my hand on more than one occasion. One morning I realized how selfish I was being and that my father would want me to carry on and be a great person. I took all the anger and hatred and turned it around. We truly are blessed.

New years is now about reflection and setting goals so I continue down a path that will still make my Dad proud. It's how I keep on track and keep persevering.
Here is how I spent my night/day so far:

With the help of my personal trainer I convinced the manager at 24 Hour Fitness to let me workout while he was finishing up paperwork, the gym was already closed last night when we showed up. That picture is an overhead press after a front squat. Front squats are brutal and I can only do 50% of my normal squat weight. Notice there isn't anyone else in the gym... how cool is that? I'm going to get the manager and my trainer a nice thank you gift.

This picture is me completely exhausted after squats, deadlifts, burpees, kettle/barbell swings, lunges, jumps, etc. There was more than one occasion that I had to remind myself to keep going, to never give up no matter what. I was too exhausted to cry, or perhaps the river of sweat washed them away. This workout was exactly what I needed to keep myself from thinking back on how things used to be, and focusing on the right now.

This morning was a run to benefit the county search and rescue. My friend joined me, she was just diagnosed with some form of lady part cancer and I'm doing my best to keep her spirits up and maintaining her fitness while she still has energy. It was a gorgeous 12 degrees out and the course was covered with snow and ice, We had a blast, she even managed to make me smile in a picture... that's a miracle in itself.
I don't know why, but I was a little chilly above the knees.

Moving forward and looking back, I'm so glad that everything has worked out. My family is healthy, safe and prepared. My few friends are there for me when I need to lean on them, and I'm always there for them at a moments notice. While I wish every single day that New Years would go back to being a party night/day, I am very glad it's a time for reflection. All too often life is a blur and we don't stop and look around enough. I couldn't do all of this stuff without a wonderful family, home, job and friends. 2013 brings our 18th anniversary and my 16th anniversary at work, amazing feats for anyone under 50 in today's world.

There are a few things on my long term list I want to hammer out. I need some more backup heating sources for the house, more water stored up, another years worth of food set aside, more water filters, a garden that's twice as big, etc. Good things to tackle and plenty to keep my mind occupied.

Happy New Year, may 2013 be the year of the citizen for once, we certainly need it.