The Weekly Word

What I've Been Thinking About...
One day this week I dropped Emilia off at school and then hit the streets for some exercise. Prior to a running workout I try to walk for about 10 minutes just to get the body warm. As I am doing this I notice there is water flooding the path so I decide to cut through a cemetery to avoid it. It is a quick 3-4 minute shortcut and I notice a funeral is getting set up. I try to move through the path in a way that doesn't distract but something stops me in my tracks.

So, as I am cruising along the cemetery road and I randomly take a peak over my right shoulder. It is there that I see a headstone with my name FLUCK written on it in big letters. I was surprised and curious. For one, what is the likelihood to stumble upon such a thing on a random walk through a cemetery? Two, the time that these Fluck's were in the area were in the 1850's which got me thinking: long lost relatives or just a random coincidence? Either way, the moment stuck with me for the week. 

Mental Health Tip of the Week
In other family news, a few days after that moment my aunt who lives in Tennessee came to town for a visit. We went out to eat for breakfast and afterwards, invited her over to see the farm. As adults, I do not think we ever had a real conversation but she made a point to want to change that. During this conversation she shared a ton of stories from her childhood and life that to be quite honest, I was fairly ignorant of. She and I were never really close and apparently this goes back to when I was baby and wouldn't let her hold me. My brother, on the other hand, was much more open and had a different relationship with her than I did. We discussed his death and how hard it was (and still is) for everyone. 

I recently read a quote that went "the route past grief is through it". You experience it, you feel it, but eventually you have to accept the reality that someone you love is gone and you must start living. I believe that approach is good for all human emotions or events that we face throughout the course of our lives. Experience the event, feel the emotions associated with it, accept that it happened, and then move forward. 

What I've Been Writing...
Having young kids at home that are juggling school, homework, practices, and games makes it very difficult for us parents to get everyone together for a shared meal. Often times it seems like it would be easier just to set up a grab-and-go dinner in order to work around conflicting schedules. In terms of time saved, this idea works very well but at what cost?

Recent research has indicated that those family's who routinely eat meals together tend to thrive together. The data shows that when families prepare, cook and consume a meal together, those foods tend to be more nutrient dense. These meals have more protein, fruits and vegetables and are less likely to contain processed foods and high sugar content. But wait, there is more...

Click here to continue reading: http://www.chrisfluck.net/.../the-importance-of-family...

What I've Been Reading
Running with the Buffaloes by Chris Lear

This book chronicles the University of Colorado cross country team's 1998 season from the late summer practices to the men's NCAA cross country championships. The author was deeply embedded with the coach and team and really lays out the physical, mental, social, and sometimes spiritual moments that occur over the course of a season in the world of athletics. The ups, the downs, the joys, the sadness, the grief, the bonding, and so on and so forth. 

Quote of the Week
“The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy.” — Jim Rohn

I hope you all have an awesome week!

​Chris