Turn False Pride Into Real Pride

I've just returned from an 8-day driving trip with my mother. I've talked about her before - she's in her 70s, has congestive heart failure, is deaf, walks with a cane, and is about a hundred pounds overweight.

I drove her up to Warroad, MN to visit an old friend of hers (old in every sense of the word) who lives in an assisted living facility there. She has a walker that has wheels on each of its four legs, and she gets around with it pretty good.

My mother has a walker - wheels only on the front - but she refuses to use it, using her cane instead. She holds my hand when we walk up or down inclines...but if she'd use a walker she wouldn't need me, she could move quite independently. But she won't do it.

On our way back home, we stopped in at Murdo, South Dakorta which has a car museum. It is a huge place, lots of walking involved. I tried to tell her that she'd be much better off with her walker, but she said, No, her cane would be just fine.

Result - after walking about 1/5th of the way around the exhibits (which consist of about ten buildings) she was exhausted. So I had to leave her in the restaurant while I walked around on my own.

I've talked to my dad about this and we're going to do an intervention - start taking her out to a local mall with her walker so she can walk around it and get some exercise to lose some weight. And yes, we should have done this a long time ago, but I'm afraid we've been enabling her. So much easier to be firm with one's clients than with one's own mother!

Anyway, to the point of this post. If you need a walker - use one. My mom is 70 years old and looks every day of it. No one is going to look at her oddly for using a walker, but that apparently is what she fears. And she must lose weight. SHe has fallen in the past and, strong as I am, I was unable to lift her to her feet. If my dad hadn't been around to help I'd've had to call 9-1-1 for help (because she has no strength in her arms at all, and precious little strength in her legs.)

Since all of my subscribers are strangers to me, I don't know how many of you have just 10 or 20 pounds to lose, how many of you have 100 pounds to lose, and how many of you have even more than that to lose.

This post is basically for those of you who are a hundred pounds or more overweight. You must exercise, if at all possible. Don't want to go to a pool for water aerobics? Bite the bullet and go! You'll be among friends who are also trying to lose weight, and who will only admire you for doing what needs to be done in that regard. You will increase your strength, and your pride will increase proportionately.

Don't like to bike because your backside spreads over both sides of the seat? Grit your teeth and bear it. People may look at you askance, but that's them and who cares about them. You've got to do what you've got to do.

So get up and do it!