Today concluded my run as an associate at New Balance. I had waited for weeks to see my last day come up on that schedule board. However, now I feel a bit melancholy that it is over. Hence the need for me to write this blog.
I have learned many things during my time at Newbie. However my eyes have been opened to one crucial lesson in particular. My renewed appreciation for my physical health. In the recent months I have fitted shoes for people who had just gotten out of surgery, people with missing limbs, people who must rely on others to drive or even communicate for them, and people who can’t remember their own name. Working with these individuals has pushed me to examine my own health, and how fortunate I am to be young and to be healthy.
One day a women came in with her husband, who was just learning to walk in shoes again after 6 months of rehab. I was there as he took his first steps. His wife turned to me with this ecstatic look in her eyes, and I replied “Sometimes it’s the little things in life.” That must have resonated with her because she nodded silently and repeated that phrase a few more times to herself. That was the day I relearned the joy of walking.
Yes, we all age. Yes, at some point we think about the day when our body will betray us, when we can no longer enjoy physical activity.However, I encourage us all to be as active as we can, whenever we can. I call us to be thankful for the “little things in life”, to glance around once in a while and appreciate our bodies and ourselves.
AshleyKPerez 