Some catching up

September 18, 2011

Yesterday was Matt and my’s 3-monthiversary! This has been such an amazing three months. I’m not sure that life could get any better. Sometimes I get nervous that this is simply a dream that is too good to be true, but then I see Matt and he holds me close and I am reminded that he is really in my life. He is my best friend and my companion. I am so grateful that I have him to go through life with. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It seems like school is already starting to run away from me, no matter how hard I try to keep up. One thing that keeps me going, however, is how much I love my classes! They truly fascinate me. I am taking exercise physiology, chronic disease prevention, obesity and weight management, technical communication, and biomechanics. I feel like I am finally taking all of the classes that I wanted to take from the very beginning; I just had several pre-reqs in my way before. I love learning about how the human body works and I am especially enjoying the studying I am able to do about lifestyle management. I am realizing more than ever that it takes a tremendous amount of effort to maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent diseases, more than most people are willing to give. Too many people have convinced themselves that good health is their personal right, and that someone else should fix it for them. When in reality it is each individual’s responsibility to take care of themselves and to accept the consequences of poor lifestyle choices. I am finding that the only way that I can even begin the process of maintaining good health is by reading and learning and pondering on it every single day. This way I can be reminded of the choices I need to make on a daily basis. This kind of thing is not something that is learned all in one sitting and is then carried through for the rest of your life. It takes daily effort. An analogy that one professor shared was that if you were to ask a successful business man if all of the money he had earned and the success he had acquired was his right, he would say that it absolutely was not his right. Rather, that he had worked hard day in and day out to get where he was. Sadly, too many people are not willing to put in the same kind of effort when it comes to their physical health. That is one of the main points that I have learned thus far. I am liking this field of lifestyle management more and more as I study it. I had always planned on helping people in the medical field, but this method of disease prevention does not involve medicine or surgeries. It is simply helping people realize the importance of eating right and exercising. I think this is a fantastic approach to the increasingly heavy problem that is American obesity.

Matt and I are beginning a Flexitarian diet. I would recommend it to anyone. It is not vegetarian, but rather focusing your meals on whole fruits and vegetables, and eating meat sparingly. We have already started and it really is amazing to see the effects that it can have on your mind and your well-being. I’ll continue to give up-dates on it.

We are starting to make some more married friends. School is going well. Work is going well. BYU football is not going so well (BYU 10 – Utah 54, boo). Life is great. We finally got out all of our thank you cards the day before our 3-monthiversary! That was a great feeling. I reach out to everyone who is going through that process…it’s lengthy. We were happy that we got to go to the Roderick-Egan wedding on Friday night! They were an absolutely stunning couple and the dinner/reception hall was incredible. We are very happy for them.

Matt continues to be a stalwart example to me of dedication and personal righteousness. He makes me want to be better, and following his example has helped me to be so in little ways. Going to the temple with him is the most amazing experience. I love being able to talk with him about all that we see and hear. Listening to his spiritual insights has led me to higher ground. I love him dearly! I also love Sundays because they give me the opportunity to reflect on my relationship with my Father in Heaven. I know that He loves me and that He is helping us along the way in our marriage, and I am so grateful for that.

Here is today’s song in the Erickson home: We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet