WITH THE LOVE OF A SON AND AN UNEXPECTED CHALLENGE, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!

In late January 2011, Luis was telling Andres about a challenge he had accepted to lose weight. The story started here: 

In June 2010, Luis was teaching a class for the American Bankers Association, Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He has taught for them for 10 years and recently became their Chairman of the Board...way to go Luis!  During this class Luis talked about challenges, not only in the workplace, but in life as well. He mentioned his struggle with losing weight...the same weight that has plagued him for over 15 years. A student named Kevin Bailey came to him after the class and set forth a challenge to "Do it!!! Lose the weight!!!" Luis had only met this man from teaching the class, but how could he say no, so he accepted. Kevin checked in by email every couple of months with encouragement, but it wasn't until December 23, 2010 (6 months later) that Luis got down to business and started a serious power walking regiment. As he told this story to Andres, he was proud to announce he had not missed a single day of his power walking.

After listening to this story and his Dad's plan of attack to win the challenge, Andres said, "That's great Dad! So you've been walking for over a month now, how much weight have you lost?" The answer was, "Well, I'm still working on that part!" A few days later Andres sent this email to his Dad.

Published with consent of the author, J. Andres Lobo, the most beautiful son any parent could dream of.

From: Andres Lobo 
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 2:41 PM
To: Lobo, Luis

dear dad,

i'm very proud that you are taking your work out regiment so seriously. I've wanted to have this talk with you for a while but i never could seem to get the courage to mention it, worrying that you might misinterpret my concerns.

first off. i love you with all my heart. you and mom are my greatest support and i owe everything to you both.

second off. since i was little i've always had a fear of losing either of you. as ive learned with age and talking to friends, most children (even older ones) feel this fear. i still do.

so here is what im getting at.

our health is all we have. it is the foundation for everything we do in our lives. it allows us the ability to see the world, spend time with the ones we love, and pursue our passions. in your letter you wrote to me, you believe that we have one time on this earth. i believe this as well. but the quality of our lives can be greatly diminished if our body is not properly managed or worst; our life can be cut short. since i was born i have grown up with a father whose determination exceeded any other person i've known. you always strive for excellence in yourself as well as pushing others to their potential. you were born to be a leader. you have worked so hard and i feel like you are finally starting to bear the fruits of your labor. i dont want to see your life cut short, unable to enjoy all your successes. you deserve the world dad, and i just want you to enjoy it to its fullest.

once again i'm very proud that you're power walking daily. exercise is very important for our physical and emotional health. but thats only half the battle. the other half is nutrition. just like exercise makes us feel good, good healthy food does the same. you are what you eat. i understand your days are jam packed and eating something on the go is sometimes the only option. but make those on the go snacks healthy! when you get a meal at a restaurant try to get something with lots of vegetables, a portion of meat the size of your palm (no thicker). the biggest thing i think you need to learn is portions. my nutrition teacher in high school said something that stuck. you can eat anything you want, it just depends on how much of that thing you eat. all this working out isn't going to do a thing unless you learn to burn more calories than you are putting in. maybe going to see your doctor or a nutritionist would benefit. they can put you on a meal plan that would ensure weight loss with your daily work out, and point you in a health direction of eating. dont think of this as a diet, its a lifestyle change. you will feel more energized, you will feel better about yourself, and you will put yourself on a path that will greatly reduce your risk of a heart attack, and greatly increase your lifetime and its quality.

i love you with all my heart dad. you have the determination in you. you just have to adjust some of that energy towards your health.

- your son,
andres

Luis responded to Andres with: "Andres, you are so special.  I will do so as my commitment to YOU!  I am ALL IN!"

Update: Luis completely changed his eating habits and has powered walked every single day since Dec. 23, 2010. He has lost 40 lbs.

This past June one year after the challenge was set, Luis saw his new found friend. Kevin congratulated Luis on winning the challenge and gave him a $1 coin to carry in his pocket as a reminder of his tremendous accomplishment and incentive to stay focused on his health. I later found out that Kevin had lost 50 lbs himself...TALK ABOUT PAYING IT FORWARD!!! WAY TO GO KEVIN!!!

TO KEVIN: Words can't begin to express my family's gratitude to you. With Luis' high stress job, diabetes on both sides of his family, and carrying the extra weight, our family has worried about his health for years. Thank you for caring about another; a person you barely knew. A person that is now living a much healthier life because of you!!!  So in the only words I know, I say, THANK YOU KEVIN - from The entire Lobo Family!!! We look forward to having Luis around for many years to come!

THE KALEIDOSCOPE: a treasure waiting to be rediscovered

One of my favorite things to do is browse through antique and consignment shops. My style is a mix of old and new.  Furniture, decorative accessories, clothes, etc., I love “things” with character; old treasures waiting to be rediscovered in a modern world. I admire the “mix” of the old, and the new, and the challenge of making them “flow”. Therefore, occasionally I will take the time to stop by and meander through, what may seem like junk stores to some, but for the treasure hunter, well...we know there are treasures just waiting to be rediscovered. 

Recently, as I was browsing through a few of my favorite shops in downtown Frederick, MD, I found the most awesome treasure; a kaleidoscope. You should understand, kaleidoscopes are my ALL TIME FAVORITE toy, then you can imagine my excitement as I spotted this "treasure" sitting on the shelf. As I examined this particular kaleidoscope, I have to tell you reader, my excitement grew as I noticed the shiny brass on the eye piece was worn a little dull, as was the brass surrounding the color wheels at the other end.  It was evident this kaleidoscope had been thoroughly enjoyed by its previous owner. I felt a connection to this person, I will never know. Of course I bought this special treasure; a beautiful treasure waiting to be rediscovered by another. On that day, I was thankful it was me.

On Christmas of 2009, I gave my children kaleidoscopes as gifts. These were not expensive kaleidoscopes, but the kind you may find in any toy shop. I included a note with my special gift to them that year, and thought I would share with you.

To My Dearest Children,

The Kaleidoscope:

This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE toy and I wanted to share it with each of you.  Ahhhh, the beauty of the colors; it brings me so much peace and joy to sit and watch the colors mingle, change, blend together, then burst into an explosion of beauty with one little turn. When the kaleidoscope is idle, it sits and waits, like a new adventure or discovery just waiting to be explored, with a new found gift of beauty to be treasured every time you look inside. My children, remember this always, the greatest pleasures can come in the smallest things. You are young, but life moves fast, so as you journey along through the path of life, stop and take the time to enjoy the simple beauty in all things.

With LOVE from Mom
12-25-2009