Physical exercise has never been my thing, I’m much more content to spend an hour surfing the net than walking outside. However, one of the commitments I’ve made to myself this year is to treat my body better by eating better and getting more exercise. I put my daughter in charge of my exercise routine and gave her permission to push and prod me out the door every day for a walk. Of course, the week I decide to start walking is the week I come down with a killer case of the flu where walking from the bed to the bathroom was a course in endurance. My daughter barely gave me a pass on the days I was sick, but as soon as I was up and able to go to the store, she started prodding me to go walking.
Tonight we walked around a few blocks and although it was a slow walk because my lungs are still congested, it was a walk. As we walked we talked about life, about her going away to college, and about what’s going on in her–and her guinea pig’s–life. It seems as if I say it in every post that I write about my daughter that she is amazing, but she truly is. At 17, she’s bright, articulate, intelligent, and passionate about life. I’m amazed at what I learn by being around her.
Tonight we talked about the various men in her life (a favorite topic for any 17 year old). We talked about her first boyfriend who’s going away to college this year and decided to break it off with her due to emotional issues on both sides. Although, I’m a realist enough to see my daughter’s flaws, I also think Sam was bad for her because his overprotective mother insisted on choosing his friends, his clothes, and his after school activities. Unknown to them, Sam is a closet drinker who drinks alone. I worry about what’s going to happen to him when he heads off to college and his parents aren’t around to control his life.
My daughter’s editor in chief is the other man in her life at the moment and although she calls him “Pookie Bear” and he’d do almost anything for her, she isn’t interested in him as anything more than a friend. Unlike Sam’s parents, Josh’s parents think the world of Cat. For now, Cat and Josh are just friends who hang out together and run the world’s best high school newspaper together, but you never know what the future might bring.
My daughter’s future is also on her mind as she’s getting ready to apply to colleges. She’s narrowed it down to about six that she would like to go to and as I listen to her talk about why she’s chosen those six, I’m amazed once again at how grounded and mature she is. The school’s she’s picked are all ones that have programs she’s interested in and have activities she wants to participate in. Unlike some kid’s, my daughter is choosing a school based on academics and not partying.
Our walk around the block is ending and we’re both relishing the last hurrah of summer knowing that all too soon, the leaves will be falling and winter’s chill will be setting in. But we both know that with Cat as my personal trainer, there will be many more walks in the days to come.
Cairn by Cairn 