A renewed vow

No not my wedding vows, although sometimes I think we should do that every single week to each other, just to remember our commitment to each other and the life we are trying to build as we go through the days of the week. Another story though.
Anyway. Two weeks ago one of my co-workers died quite unexpectedly from a massive heart attack. She was only 38 and had two daugthers; ages 1 and 15. To say that I was shocked is a huge understatement and absolutely heart-broken. Cynthia was one of my favorite people at work and we talked a lot about coming from a small town to this big city and feeling out of place. We both have the same degree and talked often about what we wanted to do with it or about going back to school. Which she was getting ready to do, by the way. Anyway not even a full week before she died she had been complaining of chest pain and feeling weird to myself and another girl at work. She even asked what a heart attack feels like for a woman and had said that she was going to the doctor the next day. I can honestly say though that I did not believe that she was having a heart attack or anything close to it. Who has heart attacks at 38? She was the picture of health... Didn't smoke, didn't drink, stayed active, was in good shape physically... What is really sad is that she did go to the doctor the next day and they told her that she had acid reflux and it would go away... She died 5 days later of a massive heart attack after laying down for a nap because she was having some trouble breathing. When her husband went to check on her she just wasn't breathing at all anymore. She was a gentle, kind and loving person and I cannot not even begin to tell you how much she will be missed. It is already the weirdest thing to not see her in the office, I cannot tell you how many times I've looked up expecting her to come in or to hear her laugh or her silly cell phone. Her daughters changed the ring-tone so that everytime they called her it would say "moooootttthhhher" over and over and over until she answered it and she could never figure out how to change it. Was the funniest thing and probably one of those stupid little things I'll miss the most about her not being there.
Anyway, my renewed vow is to myself and my health. I have taken a big step in the last year to getting healthier and I have lost 45 lbs since then, and I am proud of it! But it's not enough. I'm still overweight and not doing my own heart any favors with that extra weight. Sure I exercise, but not enough. Sure I eat right, but only hardcore the week before I go to get weighed at the nutritionist. Enough is enough, it's time to get healthy for my future and whatever that may hold. I have a relatively healthy family so I am blessed to not have that working against me but I have hypothyroidism among many other weird anomalies. Anyway. So this is my vow to myself and to my future that I am going to step it up and get my body and mind in the best shape they can be in.
Thank you Cynthia for all the laughs and conversations we had together this past year and for making me see again that life is short and we are never guaranteed another day. You and your beautiful smile will be missed!
Check out www.americanheart.org and learn more about being heart healthy and the warning signs of a heart attack for men and women. There is a walk in September here in Indianapolis, so expect to hear more from me about this as I attempt to make you either walk with me or donate money... :)