Today was the very first time our little Angel Antonio brushed his teeth… all by himself.

I believe that small daily improvements, “in whatever we do”, over time… lead to stunning results.

Who am I to actually doubt for a split second that my child, becuase of his special needs, would not want to participate in today’s Easter Egg Hunt…or could for that matter? What type of a parent could I posssibly be to allow myself to even think so small about my son’s pure potential? Thank god for my beautiful wife. Thank god for my beautiful family and my many many blessings…and thank god for the Easter Bunny. We truly are all meant to shine.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

-Marianne Williamson

I don’t want you to love me- I want you to have some fun with me!

A father came home from work and his young daughter met him at the driveway. “Daddy, you’re home!” she said with a big smile. “Daddy, can you take me somewhere fun? Her father flippantly responded, “I have too much work to do, I don’t have time…I will tomorrow. But you know that I love you” His little daughter replied, Daddy, I don’t want you to love me, I want you to have fun with me!”

This story puts in perspective the saying “Actions speak louder than words.”

I had a great time yesterday with two of my children at Chuck E Cheeses… and there also was enough time to stop by and say hello to grandma and grandpa.

I guess it comes down to this: It’s a lot less about what we say and more about what we do that counts.

The other night as I was reading a story book to my two beautiful kindergarten daughters… my daughter Cristina looked up at me with her luminous blue/green eyes and asked. “Daddy…why doesn’t Tonio talk?” I stopped for a moment, took a breath and told Cristina that Antonio was our little angel…and that God sent him to our family so that he could help teach us many wonderful things … and that god gave Antonio to mommy and daddy…and to the rest of our family to teach us all about love, compassion, kindness, patience,…and that Antonio was god’s extraordinary gift and blessing to us all. I didn’t know what else to tell her…

I have had six knee operations from playing basketball in my younger years…and have developed degenerative arthritis in my left knee due to the injuries, the operations… but mostly it was me not taking proper care of my body..the only one I have.

About four months ago I sustained an injury to my lower back while attempting to put our son Antonio into the back seat of my wife’s van.  I was trying to place Antonio in the very last row of the van…where he would be safest… I bent over, twisted to my left…and ouch…I mean really OUCH…and experienced a sharp pain shoot through my lower back. Luckily the injury wasn’t more severe…I could have done a number of bad things to my back…ruptured disk, herniated disc, pinched nerve, back spasms…you name it…but I got off easy. Thank god all I did was strain my lower back…I was extremely lucky. This little lesson in lack of functional fitness was the wake-up call I “sorely” needed. I had been doing outright stupid things to my body for years…and Now was and Now is…the time to change all of that. So…I signed up with Paul Flores of Crossfit East County about a week after this incident and have been training with Paul ever since.

I have lost twenty pounds…recognize some old muscles returning…but more importantly I am ever mindful of not only how I lift Antonio…but how I make all functional movements throughout the day. I haven’t felt this great in more than twenty years! So bend your knees, keep your back straight, and find out more about a Crossfit training program nearest you.