New Year's Resolutions 2011

Dear Chicken Nugget,

As we end the second day of the New Year, I thought I'd lay down my resolutions for this year.  I'll let you hold me accountable to these.

Most people find resolutions fun and pointless.  They're a great way to reboot your personal goals but since there's no accountability, most people drop their resolutions within weeks.

To help keep me accountable, I'll offer you this:

For every resolution I do not keep, I will give you $100 cash.  I usually make ten resolutions a year, for a potential $1000 cash every year until you turn 18.  

Deal?  You just smiled at me, so I'll take that as a yes.

So, without further ado, my New Year's Resolutions of 2011:

1) Be a good father.
2) Be a good husband.
3) Run nine NYRR-scored races and volunteer for one NYRR event.  This will help me gain guaranteed entry into the 2012 NYC Marathon.
4) Become a certified USATF Level 1 Running Coach in order to better teach my Running Club kids.
5) Clean up the back room, or "man cave" as your mom calls it, once a month.
6) Finish reading the Bible, with Facebook breaks allowed only in between books.
7) Exercise every day unless illness requires rest - your mom will have to judge "illness" on this one.
8) Get my cholesterol checked at least four times this year.
9)  Donate blood at least four times this year.  Note to self: Don't do the cholesterol check and blood donation on the same day.
10) Dance with you at least once a day.

I hope to be able to complete all ten resolutions this year.  In the long run I hope you'll understand that me completing these ten resolutions is more important than the cash you'll earn from me breaking them.  Still, it's a good way to keep me focused.

Two days down and you still have earned no cash from me - off to a good start.


Eternally yours,

Tu papa

on donating blood

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Today I went to the NY Blood Center to donate blood.  It's something I started doing about three years ago, two to four times a year, to help out our local blood banks.  In a city of about 8 million people, something like 60% are eligible to donate blood but only less than 5% actually do so.  That means that in a city of 8 million people full of illness, accidents, and surgeries, there's almost always a shortage of blood.

I tell you this because I feel it's our duty as healthy adults to do what we can to help others in need.  I hope that, when you get older and meet the eligibility requirements for donors, you help people by giving some blood.

I have seen family members who were sick and needed blood transfusions.  I saw them get blood and watched them feel better, if even for just a little bit.  When you give blood you may be helping a cancer patient who needs a blood transfusion to help them feel better.  You may be helping someone in a traumatic car accident who needs an emergency transfusion.  You may be helping babies that were born prematurely and need transfusions to help them gain strength.

Or, you may be helping someone like your great grandfather Bolivar, who at the age of 98 was very ill, fatigued, and confused.  The doctors told us that they were going to give him some blood to help a low red blood cell count.  The way my mom describes it, it's as if they gave him the blood of a young bull.  Within minutes he was up, trying to walk out of bed, telling jokes, and asking for food; he was hungry.

Although, the blood transfusion didn't "cure" my grandpa, it helped him feel better.  And, it gave my family a few more waking, lucid moments with grandpa.

God-willing you will grow up to be a healthy young adult and will be willing to endure a couple of pinches so that you can help others in need.  My hope is that there are others who will do the same.


Loving you, always,

Tu papa