Lesson 33: Take Care Of Yourself

Big Dude, I hate to point this out, but you weren’t always the best at health and fitness. Whataburger is too good of a friend, and how could anyone stay away from Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits?! Still, you did teach me a thing or two about the subject. Most specifically – take care of yourself.

"Do you not know your body is a temple, of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20

            You were happiest when you were healthy. When you were at a healthy weight, working out every day and eating a little better, you had a bigger pep in your step than usual. You wanted to do more. Play more with Mo and me. Go out. And that taught me that when I take care of myself, I feel better about myself.

            That’s why I started running. Then, when it got too hot to run and I didn’t have a treadmill, I started tumbling again. I’ve noticed I feel a billion times better when I exercise and eat better. Mom has been exercising too - and of course, Morgan is volleyballin' nearly every day of the week.

            But you’d best believe we’ll eat some Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits for you J

            Love, Bubba

Lesson 32: Chill Out

            Remember all those times that I threw up my hands in frustration at the computer? Maybe a program wasn’t working. Maybe it froze mid upload and my work was hindered. Maybe I was frustrated by editors block. Regardless, you would always remind me to calm down, because it was just a computer. Your usual words were “chill out, Bubba”, and once I was 21... “you need a drink, Bubba.”

            After you passed, I had a similar moment. I was editing the video for the service, and I had left my computer up overnight to upload to YouTube. Mom unknowingly shut down my computer, thinking she was doing me a favor by saving my battery. Needless to say I woke up pissed and pouty.

            Mom told me she was sorry, and then left the house to run an errand. I could tell she truly felt horrible about her accidental sabotage. Suddenly, I knew you were there, telling me to “chill out, Bubba” and tell Mom it was okay. When Mom walked back through the door, I gave her a hug and told her that the video would be okay and not to worry about it. And the funny thing – she told me that you’d told her to chill out about being upset too.

“Do not be anxious about anything.”

Philippians 4:6-7

            Funny how you can remind us of the important things, even though you’re not here.

            Love, Bubba

Lesson 31: You're Going To Be Wrong

            Oooooh boy. Anybody that knows me knows that admitting that I’m wrong is not something I do easily. Mostly because I’m pretty much never wrong, but that’s beside the point :P Because the truth is, even though I don’t admit it – I’m wrong sometimes. A lot of the time, actually. And I’ve got to admit it.
            I'm young. I have yet to learn every detail of the ways of the world. Honestly, I never will. None of us will. So I've got a story about one of the little mistakes I made recently that I'm so sure I will be sharing with my children when I'm older.
            In September, I made a pretty big purchase on my own - an iPhone 6s Plus. It cost a pretty penny, but I was determined and I wanted it. I slapped a case on it as soon as I got it to protect my precious purchase... and a mere 5 months later, before it was even paid off, I shattered it.
           I was devastated. How could I be so stupid? I paid for the repairs and went about my business. And guess what? Not even two months later... I shattered it again.
           I know. Some people reading this might think "that's petty and dumb. How is this relevant?" but I can hear the conversation with you, Trav. You'd be laughing it off, telling me that's what I get for not taking better care of my stuff. And you'd be absolutely right.
           I learned from that silly mistake. 1) Don't spend such an ungodly amount of money on something that will be obsolete in 6 months just because you reeeally want it. 2) take better care of your things. 3) prioritize - there are so many more important things that money could have gone to.
           Do I put my palm to my forehead when I think about my mistakes? Duh. But I'm trying. I'm learning what I can. I'm trying to be the best person I can be. Even the best of people make mistakes sometimes.

            The thing is, everyone is wrong at some point. To keep from losing those you care about, you’ve got to admit that you’re wrong. Your pride and sanity aren't worth it.

“Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Proverbs 13:10

            Some mistakes will be bigger than others. Who knows - I may forget about this one in ten years. But it helps to admit that you’re not perfect. I definitely feel better thinking about how I would tell you this story if you were here... because I can hear you laughing.

Love, Bubba

Lesson 30: Be A Good Daughter

Earlier I talked to you about realizing how lucky Morgan and I are to have a super hero like Mom in our lives. In recognizing this, I have to recognize that a part of having a fabulous mom is being a fabulous daughter.

If Morgan and I were absolute demon-children ALL the time (let’s be real – you and I both know that we are sometimes) Mom probably wouldn’t be the angel that she is ALL the time. We’d make it difficult for her to be a good mom.

“She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”

Proverbs 31:25

            Living like a Proverbs woman is one of the ways that we can make Moms life a little easier. She tries to do that for us, so we more than owe it to her to do the same. Trying to live the life of a good person allows us to live the life of a good daughter. And doing things for her like she does for us and taking care of her help too.

            But don’t worry. We’ll still play jokes on her like you did!

            Love, Bubba