All I Want for Fitmas

As a service to my brother and father, I try to keep my Amazon wish list well-populated year round (as well as some other wish lists) so we don't have another well-meaning-but-ultimately-tragic orthopedic bowling shoe incident or another "she doesn't wear gold" awkward moment.

As I get older, it gets harder to find things that I want.  For the most part, if I want something I either buy it, or plan for it (invariably the plans are fruitless because a cat gets sick, my apartment floods, or there is some emergency travel). And sometimes the things I want look more like needs because they are not glamorous at all, such as a Dyson vacuum.

Hurricane Sandy (as well as other natural disasters), the wars and revolutions in the Middle East, the daily reminders that life is ephemeral, have all reminded us to be thankful for what we have.  It seems silly to want something frivolous when we know people that have lost nearly everything.  It seems silly to want something frivolous when we know there are people in the world with nothing.

This year, all I really want for Fitmas is to be able to do 10 pushups--10 uninterrupted pushups without my neck or lower back hurting.
I want to be able to run 5 miles (on the elliptical) two days in a row without feeling like I've been steam rolled.
I want to throw punches again, instead of just beating myself up.
I want to feel 31, not 61 -- not to turn back the clock, but to restore my good health.

There are times when I think this is too much to ask from the universe.  There are times when I think this is not enough to ask of the universe.  Then I realize, I'm not asking the universe for anything extraordinary--just the strength to be patient, the courage to keep fighting for myself, and the wisdom to know when to act and to know when to listen to someone elses' expertise.