Gracie has a brilliant memory. I have a feeling that it might be photographic. She says that she “sees” the scenes that she plays out for me blow-by-blow in the life-story interview that I’m doing for her. (I just launched a personal histories arm to my business – in large part due to my relationship with Gracie.)

Gracie can tell me what she was wearing, what the weather was like, and what she ate during certain seemingly insignificant events throughout her life …. beginning around age 3. I can barely remember what happened two days ago. And I’ve got 60 fewer years to keep up with!

Perhaps it’s just good genetics. Gracie’s mother lived into her mid-80s and sounds as if she was a rather sharp woman until the end. But I also have to wonder if her unusually acute memory is the result of more than just good genes. 

Gracie doesn’t waste her time dwelling in the past or fretting about the future. And even though you could argue, “well, what would you expect? She’s 96,” I think she’s always been someone who lives fully in the present. She celebrates every moment – often with a clap of her hands and a laugh. I don’t think that these are traits you pick up this late in life. I think she has always lived this way.

So why can she remember in minute detail the interior of the church where her son was married over 40 years ago, when I can’t even tell you what I had for breakfast yesterday? I think it’s because she drinks in her surroundings, doesn’t take one moment for granted, and says a silent “thank you” for every breath she takes.

The rest of us often are just plundering through life, doing a half-dozen things at any one moment – or at least thinking about them. Gracie lives a life of faith, trusting that God will see to all of those minute details that we run ourselves ragged trying to control. 

She just goes with it – and knows that it’s all going to work out just as it should. And so she’s free to notice the depictions on the stained-glass window, the words her husband says to her as they walk through the door of the church, and the color of the dress her son’s new mother-in-law wore that day. 

So I tend to think that Gracie’s memories are so vivid because she really lives each moment …. with all of her mind, body, and spirit. She never fails to “show up” in the here and now. And her unwavering faith gives her the ability to let go and to be fully present to the miraculous details of the world unfolding around her.

I guess the lesson learned here is that if I want a “memorable” past, I need to work a little harder at living in the present today.

My son and I were tackling his weekly kindergarten homework assignment the other day. The tasks are usually fairly simple -walk through town and count the pumpkins, draw a picture of your family, etc. But this time, the teacher threw me a curve ball when he included ,”Do five push-ups and five sit-ups.” 

Of course, my son didn’t know how to do either a push-up or a sit-up. I’m guessing that teaching him these basic fitness skills was the goal of the assignment.  Instead, it provided a humbling experience for his mother. Although I do my fair share of cardiovascular exercise, I will admit that I haven’t done a push-up since college. I always hated them.

This was the first time that I can ever remember feeling embarrassed in front of my five-year-old. I’ve always been physically superior to him – I mean, he’s only four-feet-tall. But my attempt to touch my nose to the floor in proper push-up form was not entirely successful. He managed three to my almost-one.

We both had a good laugh. But I was feeling a wave of panic emerge beneath this good-hearted chuckle. There isn’t a women’s magazine in the world that hasn’t published an article about osteoporosis. I’ve read them only halfheartedly – until now.

I don’t exercise in order to fit into a certain-size pair of jeans. I just want to be young and healthy for as long as possible – able to keep up with my kids and feel good when I wake up in the morning. Walking, running, and skiing always seemed to be enough.

But I think that my mid-thirties have snuck up on me a little. Maybe it’s time to start doing a little more. With the threat of osteoporosis looming around the corner, some good old-fashioned strength-training might be a good idea. For now, I’m just praying that pull-ups aren’t part of next week’s homework.

Once the kids storm out of their rooms in the morning, I know that anything I might have had on my personal agenda for the day simply might not get done.  It’s just the way it goes. So for someone who once took physical fitness rather seriously, this part of parenting has been a challenge. Motherhood and a dedicated exercise routine are not exactly compatible — but there is hope.  

It may sound intimidating at first, but a morning exercise-routine is probably the easiest one to keep up. You know how it goes with after-school programs, dinner to prepare, and little ones to bathe and put to bed. The afternoon and evening hours are just too unpredictable — plus you may just be too tired by then. 

It only takes a little bit. Get out for a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood first thing in the morning, and you will feel refreshed and invigorated before you even step foot in the shower. While so much of the day can feel like it doesn’t truly belong to you, the early morning hours are yours to savor. You are giving your body and your mind a leg up on the day.

But if you’re like me, getting up in the morning involves more than just good intentions. If it’s going to happen, I need a plan. Here’s one that works for me:

Get to Bed Early!

I struggle with my bedtime hour, because the evenings are often the only times that I have with my husband or to just relax alone. But I also feel that the imbalance that often rears its ugly head in my life is a result of frantic, unorganized mornings. So if I can sacrifice a little time at night by going to bed earlier, then the payoff is worth it. I try to start my bedtime routine around 9 p.m. That way, I know that I’ll be ready to hop out of bed in the morning (well, theoretically).

Set Your Alarm

My grandfather once told me that we all have mental alarms. If you want to get up at a certain time, then just tell yourself so before you fall asleep. Believe it or not, it actually does work sometimes. But I don’t trust this mental trick on a regular basis. So setting alarm – and getting up the moment it goes off – is a good plan for any morning exercise routine. You may soon find that you’re waking up several minutes before the alarm.

Put Your Workout Clothes Beside the Bed

I find that if I make the process of getting out of the house relatively effortless, then I’m less likely to lie in bed fretting about the seemingly insurmountable task of getting up and going. So before I fall asleep at night, I place my clothes next to the bed for an easy morning transition.

Don’t Overdue It

The goal of a morning exercise routine is to feel good about doing it. If taking a nice walk down the street sounds more appealing than running five miles on the treadmill, then take the walk. Fresh air is a good thing, and enjoying the time to yourself is really what it’s all about. 

Keep It Up 

They say that it takes two weeks of doing something to make it a routine. Getting up in the morning may seem difficult at first, but it will get easier every day. After a couple of weeks, you’ll probably be hopping out of bed.