Healthy Living Blog: My Mom Turned 80… and I Was Standing on My Dad

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Notes from Natalie

I’m back west as you’re reading this…and let me just say…my Arizona blood does NOT do well in 30 degree weather.

I lived in the Washington DC area for the first 32 years of my life. I’m 54 now. So yes…it’s been a minute since I visited, but I went back for a few days.

Do I miss living on the East Coast? No.

Do I love visiting? Yes.

Do I love leaving and heading back to sunshine? Also yes. I am a warm climate gal. My joints, my mood, my entire personality prefers 75 and sunny.

Brooks and I met while we were both living in San Diego, but he went to the Naval Academy and I went to University of Maryland. So Maryland still holds a lot of memories for both of us.

And when you’re in Annapolis, there are three non negotiables:

Crab cakes

Old Bay

Fudge

We had all three. Not mixed together. We’re wild…but not that wild.

When we visit back east, stopping by USNA (United States Naval Academy) where Brooks went to school is a must! And of course him visiting his swim coach. Brooks’ swim coach is STILL coaching there. It was kind of cool seeing him back in his habitat. Watching Brooks walk around campus is like watching a fish get dropped back into water. He is 90 percent chlorine.

The real reason for the trip though…my mom turned 80. Yes, on Valentine’s Day. Iconic. She’s sharp, opinionated, and still giving life advice whether we ask for it or not. This is my mom here:

I posted a carousel on my Instagram HERE and on the last slide if you scroll through, there is a video of my mom giving advise lol I asked here…“what would you tell your younger self?” She did mention to “not eat preservatives”.

I also tried to visit my dad’s grave before heading back west. It’s been over 30 years since we laid him there. There was snow and ice everywhere and I could not find the stone. Thanks to Google coordinates and my husband’s navigation skills, I think I was standing on him below?

Sorry dad… I tried.

And if you knew my dad, you’d know he’d be giggling about it.

Standing there in the freezing cold, looking at rows of stones, I had this overwhelming thought…

We live such full, busy lives. We attach to what we “know”. We spend way too much time in our heads. We hold onto the wrong things.

And then… we end up here.

Gone. Literally.

No where to be found except in other people’s memories.

The older I get, the more I realize the ONLY thing that really matters is the memories. The ones we have. And the new ones we choose to create.

My dad left me with a lot of memories. I’m so grateful for those.

Midlife has this funny way of stripping away what doesn’t matter. It’s like menopause but for your priorities. Hot flashes…but make it existential.

Now this week  (likely around the time you are reading this!) I’m headed to Las Vegas. Not to gamble. Not to stay up late. I mean… who am I? I need magnesium and progesterone before 8 pm and my sauna/hydrogen wind down routine. I’ve got some work stuff there, but I’ll sneak in a show or two. Because… memories.

This week on the podcast and YouTube was SUCH a fun one. I sat down with one of my close friends, Keri Glassman. She’s a Registered Dietitian and I’m a licensed master sports nutritionist, so we got into it about the new food pyramid, the seed oil controversy, dietary guidelines, all of it.

It was equal parts science and friendship. You can watch it on YouTube above or listen to the podcast on Apple here and Spotify here. It’s a good one.

What I’m Loving This Week…

Digestive enzymes.

Yes, we’re going there.

I did a video about enzymes because they literally saved me in DC. Crab cakes are delicious. Crab cakes can also make you question your life choices at 8 pm.

If you are bloated after eating, and you are not taking digestive enzymes, this is very likely why.

I have turned so many friends and clients onto MassZymes. They make a HUGE difference for me, especially when I’m traveling and eating outside my usual routine.

Midlife digestion is NOT what it was at 25. At 25 I could eat a shoe and feel fine. Now I look at bread wrong and need support lol.

If you want to see the enzyme video, I linked it here.

That’s it for this week.

Make the trip.
Eat the crab cake.
Call your mom.
Create the memory.

Everything else? It’s just noise.

See you next week

-Natalie Jill

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