Putting In Everything

I’ve mentioned my new fitness craze, Aqua Fit.
Right?

Well, something occurred to me today whilst I was in the pool. Somewhere between ‘Lift! Lift! Lift!’ and ‘Push! Push! Push!’

But first I have to tell you something about my Daddy...

Daddy was the youngest of 11 children. When Mama met him, she thought he was nice but a rather spoiled youngest son.

She wasn’t far wrong.

But it was nothing that 65 years of husbanding, fathering, ranching, veterinarian-ing, Cattle organization-ing, production sale-ing, neighbouring, friending, teaching…and a host of other responsibilities couldn’t teach.

I think he was one of the wisest men I’ve ever known.

Finally I’ve reached what I’ve been wanting to say…

We were sitting in church. Daddy and me in the middle of the pew with assorted family members spread out on either side. I had just told him in my loudest six-year-old voice that this meeting was boring.

He looked down at me and made his patented ‘shushing’ motion. Then he leaned over and whispered, “Diane. You get out of something what you put into it.”

That was the first time I remember him saying that particular statement.

After that, I heard it a lot.

And it became a pattern for my life. If you hear my kids and grandkids claim they’ve also heard it a lot…believe them.

Now, back to my class.

I push myself. I do. I try to make each movement count. Keep in time with the music. ‘Push! Push! Push!’

Then I’m that annoying person at the end of class who announces how many calories we burned that day.

One of my fellow Aqua Fitters (is that a term?) laughed. “Diane,” she said. “You’re moving twice as fast as the rest of us. You burn way more calories.”

I stared at her. Surely not.

Next class, I looked around. Many of the women were chatting while they worked out, their movements slow and leisurely. Some weren’t even doing what the instructor…erm…instructed.

I’m not condemning them for it. They are happy and still benefitting.

But all I could hear was Daddy’s voice. “Diane. You get out of something what you put into it.”

I will continue to put in everything. 

That way, I’ll get everything out.

See you there?