What a Neighbor's Stroke taught me - by Oluwatoyin Odunuyi

Today, I come to you with a fact! Do you know that when you're pregnant, you can actually lose some of your teeth?Lol.Honestly, the things I've been hearing about childbirth lately have me looking at myself like... God abeg.If future Anthony and Daliayah don't behave, they will collect cane like mad, and I mean that in the most gentle-parenting way ever. (And yes, I already know my future children's names and that's not ridiculous at all)But let's talk about something other than my delusion. Today's mail is about health.Recently, a man in my estate suffered a severe stroke. It left him almost paralyzed and completely altered his cognitive abilities. When my father first told me about him, it was one thing, but seeing the deterioration face-to-face was entirely terrifying. He kept repeating the same phrase over and over, and my heart broke. This was a man who used to stroll freely around the estate, sharing long, lively conversations with friends. Now, he was entirely dependent on a young caregiver and was often brought outside for just a few precious minutes a day to take a walk.It reminded me of many things. One of them was that he used to have so much company, but because of his poor health, he was now alone most of the time.Life.While I know strokes can happen for a multitude of complex reasons, seeing him was a stark, humbling reminder: I need to take better care of this body.Now, if you've ever heard a voice that sounded like mine talking about hitting the gym, chances are you actually heard my twin, Tosin. Because me? I ain't doing that. Do you realistically see me lifting weights? The weights will fling me to another room.But yeah, until that miracle happens, there are other ways I've figured out to take care of myself, especially mentally and physically, without a gym membership. Lately, I've set a daily reminder on my phone to do one simple thing: take a walk.And honestly? The only reason I survive these walks is the elaborate, dramatic scenarios I make up in my head as I pace through the neighborhood. It has actually become the ultimate hack. I get to plot my upcoming novels and get my cardio in at the same time. Efficiency at its finest.Your thing might look completely different. It could be power-walking, sit-ups, boxing, or just dancing in your room. But whatever it is, please take care of that body and mind what you eat- all you spaghetti and okro people.And please drink water occasionally.Because guess what? You are still going to do amazing things in this life, but you can't conquer the world with weak knees or constant migraines.Once you finish reading this email, make it a priority to move your body for just ten minutes today, eat healthy, and drink water. Your future self will thank you.Love, Twi-Twi,The Almost-Fit One.

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