In December of 2018 my father was diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. Obviously when I received a call from my mother, I was devastated and crying uncontrollably because it’s my dad. It’s true what they say about “you never think it would happen to you”, until it does. Even on his toughest days my dad would still support my passions. He showed up for my competitions whether they were here in Des Moines or all the way in Omaha. My father recently passed in September of 2019, less than a year after his diagnosis.
I still struggle every day to comprehend why my dad? Why now? Why before the big milestones a dad should be present for? It is not easy to talk about nor even write about. One thing I do know is that I’m not the only one who has or is experiencing something similar. So why not try and help inspire and motivate others to find something controllable to focus on?
Working out is the one thing that I can control in my life. It is my choice whether I decide to show up and work and it’s also my choice when I decide to be lazy and skip. Showing up and crushing a workout allows me to not only forget about the situations I cannot control, but it is a stress relief for that hour of my life.
My reason for dragging myself out of bed, even on the roughest of days, is to prove to myself that I am strong, and I control how strong I choose to be. It doesn’t matter who or what or why you choose to live a healthy active lifestyle, but it matters that you show up for whatever that reason may be. My dad was my source of quiet strength and my number one supporter. I made a promise to him to live life with my head high, to encourage others the way he encouraged me, to love the way he loved, and to never stop chasing my passions.
So not only is my reason to prove to myself, but it’s to continue living for him. In the words of my dad,
“Life is short. Live it your way!!” -Brooke
