Giving Thanks for our Patriarch

Our Thanksgiving celebration is over. The only dishes left to wash are the crystal glasses, which I'll tackle tomorrow. The girls are settled in bed, worn out from the excitement of playing with cousins all day. Our bellies are full and several new memories have been added to the cannon of family gatherings. Tomorrow we'll put up the Christmas tree with help from our family that is visiting. 

However, before this next busy season begins, I wanted to be sure to take a moment and write about my Thankfulness for family.

I'm thankful for the family that I didn't get to choose and by marriage, the one that I did. On both sides, I am deeply blessed. I am surrounded by kin that are loving, supportive, kind, and loyal.

On Sunday, November 19, my grandfather Gordon Pappas passed away. He was 95, a WWII POW, a musician, an educator, father, and husband.

In the midst of the semester and holiday, there hasn't been much time to process this loss.

Grandpa's death is hardly a surprise to our family. He was old and hardly more than a skeleton. He would often become dizzy when standing up and in the last month, a series of falls led him to realize that he could no longer take care of himself.

Grandpa desperately missed his wife Ruby, who passed away 8 years ago this Christmas. I like thinking that they are together once again.

He was a strong personality. As his granddaughter I was spared much of the angst felt by his own children. Since I already had father who loved me, I didn't need anything from him and unreservedly admired his forthrightness and integrity. I could always trust that Grandpa said what he felt.

I'm sure at a later date I will have more words about this man who made such a large mark on my life.

But for now, I want to say how thankful I am for his life. For the values he instilled in our family. He gave us his passion for music, faith, and most importantly an understanding that a love of learning is a life skill. I'm even thankful for his more challenging qualities. Because of his insensitivity towards his children, my mom and aunts and uncles are incessantly kind, empathetic, and tender hearted.

We got to see Grandpa this summer and I think I knew that this might be the last time. He was so tired.

Thank you Grandpa for all the sacrifices you made for your family. Your legacy continues on.

5 things I've learned from Crossfit

November 1 marked a year of my membership at Crossfit Calamity. I initially joined because I wanted something new
out of my exercise routine and my friend Todd encouraged me to come try it out. It has been one of the best decisions of my life, physically and emotionally.

My Crossfit box is made up of the kind of people who celebrate each victory, no matter how small. They're not the kind of people who look down on what you can't do, but at what you can. They get excited for your new PR, even though it's 100 pounds lighter than theirs.

This kind of cheerleading is not typical in my professional life and it's been so good for me to have this balance.

Physically I'm in the best shape of my life. Recently I got tired of people thinking I wasn't fit because of the extra weight I was carrying and so started a low carb way of eating. I'm happy to say, I can now see my new muscles.

Because the first rule of Crossfit is, "talk about Crossfit," I'm going to share some things I've learned over the past year.


1. Train with people who are more fit and better athletes than yourself.

The group of people with whom I workout are all really good runners. I am not a good runner. I mean, my form is fine, but I'm slow and every step is painful. My heart sinks a little each time I see a WOD that includes running and I have to consciously leave my ego in the car, because I will be the last one to finish the workout. Recently there has been a lot of running and I constantly feel like I'm lagging behind. Then one day I had to go to a class at a different time, where the running skill level was different. At the end of the WOD (in which running was included) I realized 2 things: 1. I wasn't as slow as I had perceived myself to be and 2. training with people better than myself sucked, but had raised my skill level.

When I'm surrounded by people who are better than I am, it can feel discouraging. While I feel like I'm always struggling to catch up, it's easy to lose sight of the progress I've made. I think this is important for all aspects of life. Hang out with parents who have children older than your own. Glean advice from people who have been doing your job ten years longer than you. Perform with artists who have better technique and more experience. You will constantly be pushed to improve.

2. Progress takes time.

This is particularly relevant to singing. Progress takes consistency and time. After a year, I still can't do a pull up, but I'm close. A year ago I could barely hang from the bar for 10 seconds. A year ago I never dreamed I could hold myself in a handstand, much less do a modified handstand pushup. Trusting in the process, developing a solid technique, and patience leads to success in the gym and in life.

3. Strong comes in all shapes and sizes.

It's amazing to me that the size of muscle or person does not determine how much weight they can lift. Nor does it demonstrate the size and capacity of their "engine." At this time in my life, being strong is incredibly important: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Crossfit (and therapy) have helped me know how strong I am and how much stronger I have yet to become.

4. Be the kind of person who tries to get in another rep when there are 2 sec. left on the clock.

At the end of the day, we only need to answer to ourselves and God (if that's your jam). What your colleagues, coach, and friends think of you doesn't really matter. Are you the kind of person that pushes until the very end? Or when time is almost out do you stop before the clock gets to zero? It's exhausting to be the kind of person who continually tries to better themselves. I love that in the gym, the biggest competition is myself and the intensity of workout is dependent on me.

5. Crossfit people don't care if you're a girl.

There are so many well meaning men in my life who treat me differently because I'm a girl. It is frustrating. Mansplaining is a real thing. But not at my gym. There's respect for everyone and those who are strong and fit come are both men and women.

I suppose this would be the place in this post to share a picture showing off my muscles, but I don't have any (pictures that is). But consider this an open invitation to come to the gym with me and "Get fit, don't quit" (as Maia's gym teacher says).