3/30/07 "Mo" 1:30

That's what's on my calendar for tomorrow! It brings a smile to my face when I see it...even though it means I have a mammogram tomorrow at 1:30. It reminds me of the days gone by when I first started 'coding' some of my appointments on my calendar. If I simply put "Mo" down, I didn't have to go into a long explanation with my kids what I had to do at 1:30. I'm not sure why I didn't want to put 'mammogram' down as an appointment. Reflecting back on it I wish I had. It would have been a good thing for my kids to see me take time for myself. For them to know I had to have medical checks on myself and I had to take care of myself through out the year in order not to be too apprehensive when my turn came around. By the time the kids were old enough to benefit from knowing I was going in for a mammogram, I was so used to my code, I never changed it. If I had to do it over again, I would have written "MAMMOGRAM" in big letters. Maybe red letters. To announce to my family that I was taking care of myself. To remind myself that every month I had done my self checks and now I needed to go in for an annual screening. I wish I had acknowledged then that I was simply taking care of myself. It could have been a subtle lesson for my kids to see that I was really doing it for them. When I was mindful of my health, I could then turn around and pour myself into their lives. Whether I coded "Mo" or wrote mammogram is not the point, I guess. What matters is that I have been diligent in taking care of myself in the little things in life and as the years have accumulated, so have good habits and a more productive life. What's on your calendar in the days to come? Have you scheduled your doctor, dentist and other appointments that are necessary to keep you healthy? Put it on the calendar, in red letters and let your family know you're worth it!