top of page
Writer's pictureErwin Edillon

Book Reports | VBS Week | 15 Months

Hello Muir Rock Family,


Another post that I've been working on every few days but will finally finish today. I hope you're all having a good week so far!


As usual there's tons on my mind to share about life. I wish I could write something every day. I'm trying to be more concise with these posts, as sometimes they can take hours to write and there's a lot of video links that take time to watch. Since most of you that read talk to me on a regular basis, feel free to just call or text me if you want to talk about anything.


Last few weeks - Focused on my physical health


My pre-diabetes 6.2 A1C result I posted about a few weeks ago has been very humbling. Most of the comments I'll get from friends and family regarding the results are:


  • How is that possible? You work out so much.

    • A: I eat a lot of crap food and usually I'll have 2 dinners at night, past 8pm.

  • Does diabetes run in your family?

    • A: Yes, my dad and grandma had diabetes.

  • We need you alive. What are you going to do about it?

    • A: Lots of stuff

  • Erwin, you should definitely do ____ and not do ____

    • A: I know I know I know...


I also shared this news with my Uncle Ed, who's been pretty influential in my life as he was the one who got me into cycling when I was in college. He's a straightforward, no BS guy and said I shouldn't weigh 170lbs for my height (no it's not all muscle), I should actually be 150lbs. Everyone else tells me "you look fine" and stop worrying about the numbers. BMI doesn't lie. He then recommended these two books which were very well timed given the season of life I'm in:



I really enjoyed these books. I'll share a few insights here, hopefully you'll find some inspiration.


Good Energy Book Report


I've read a ton of health and fitness related books. Too many to count.

“I deeply respect doctors, but I want to be very clear on something: at every hospital in the United States, many doctors are doing the wrong things, pushing pills and interventions when an ultra-aggressive stance on diet and behavior would do far more for the patient in front of them. Suicide and burnout rates are astronomical in health care, with approximately four hundred doctors per year killing themselves. (That’s equivalent to about four medical school graduating classes just dropping dead every year by their own hand.) Doctors have twice the rate of suicide as the general population. Based on my own experience with depression as a young surgeon, I think a contributor to this phenomenon is an insidious spiritual crisis about the efficacy of our work and a sense of being trapped in a system" ― Casey Means, Good Energy

Given my recent health circumstances, this book resonated deeply with me. Here are some of the reasons:


  • Casey's narrative about her mother's battle with cancer and their decision to move her into hospice instead of surgery (like Teri's story)

  • My dad's career as a surgeon helping so many others over the past 45 years but now having a lot of his own health issues and even struggling to walk

  • My own health journey and recent A1C result

One of the key takeaways from "Good Energy" is the importance of proactive health management. As someone who is prediabetic, I found her insights on maintaining balanced blood sugar levels particularly relevant. I now track my blood glucose using a monitor so I can see what happens when I eat certain foods. There shouldn't be any more surprises in 3 months when I retest my A1C (and hope I get a 5.5).


Casey emphasizes the role of diet, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness in preventing chronic diseases, which has motivated me to adopt healthier habits for real. Stuff I know and tell others (especially my dad) about but I don't put into practice for real because I figured if I can get to the finish line of a half ironman, I'm doing enough. Not true.


The book comes with an supplemental PDF and a questionnaire to be used as a baseline on how you're doing in each category. Since I love data and tracking things, I put the questionnaire into a google doc. I added a "weight" column so I can customize the survey values to what I think are more/less important.


Feel free to see my results here and make a copy for yourself so you can take it on your own:


My Results - Lots of room for improvement

My plan is to focus on a few areas once a month, with July being about sleep. Today is a terrible day since I couldn't go back to sleep after waking up at 3:30am. Hopefully I sleep better tonight and don't need to take a nap.


This book is a compelling read that blended personal narrative with practical advice, offering a holistic approach to health that can benefit anyone, especially those dealing with grief and chronic health conditions. Hope you can read it too.


I'm now reading Outlive: The Science of Art and Longevity thanks to the recommendation from a few people. So far so good! In summary, we all just need to apply all the common sense we know about diet, exercise, rest, and sleep and not wait until It's too late. I'll let you all know how it goes.


Commercial Break - Money Saving Clothing Hacks!


I posted episode 8 on the podcast, check it out if you want some new ideas for your wardrobe. Everything I talk about can apply to women as well, I just didn't have any clothing to demo:



Regardless of how complicated my life seems to others, I'm all about making life more simple. My wardrobe is now something I don't spend much time thinking about these days. Hope you'll find the video helpful. Let's talk about clothing ideas when you have time.


The Courage to Be Disliked Book Report


“Your unhappiness cannot be blamed on your past or your environment. And it isn’t that you lack competence. You just lack courage. One might say you are lacking in the courage to be happy.” ― Ichiro Kishimi, The Courage to Be Disliked

I've also read too many "self help" books to even count. I've struggled with many of them and sometimes I don't even bother finishing them. This one had me hooked until the end. Please check it out so we can talk about it over a meal.


While I don't really agree with Adlerian psychology and how some of the principles conflict with my faith, it's still worth a read If you're like me and seek lots of validation from others. Here are few themes that resonated with my current season of grief:

  • Living in the Here and Now: The book advocates for focusing on the present rather than being bound by past events. While grieving a significant loss, this principle might encourage you to cherish the memories of your wife while also finding ways to live meaningfully in the present.

  • Finding Meaning in Suffering: One of the central ideas is that suffering can be a source of growth and meaning. This was another helpful reminder for this blog, podcast, and book about my story in ways that resonate deeply with experience and those of others that are going through similar situations.

  • Interpersonal Relationships: Adler's theories stress the importance of community and social connections. Engaging with others who have experienced loss, sharing my story, and listening to theirs can be a way to process grief and find a sense of belonging and support.

  • Courage to Change: The book encourages readers to have the courage to change their lives despite the fear of being disliked or misunderstood. In my case, this could mean embracing the changes in my life after Teri's passing and finding new paths and passions, such as the blog and podcast.


What really stood out to me was the view that trauma should be ignored. Seriously?? Seems impossible to ignore stuff from the past that's played a huge impact. But I see the point he tries to make about it and gets me really thinking. I'm still processing all of this, more to come later.


2024 North Irvine VBS


Last week was VBS at Mariner's North Irvine. It went very well! Lots of kids:


My informal group photo while holding the ladder for Joria

Lots of fun with Mayo as well! So thankful for Lisa getting him an XS kids shirt that fit him perfectly:



The Production Team had an "intern" who really made it super easy for Jumi and I to relax a bit. I focused on making the same-day edit videos and Mayo. Josiah was a huge highlight for me during the week and allowed me to even go home early on Wednesday when I needed some extra time to get some things done and rest.

The world needs more interns like Josiah

I also had an spontaneous opportunity over the past weekend to hang out with Melody the kids since they were in my area and wanted to visit. Here's a quick recap video of how VBS went from Madison and Harrison's perspective:



It's fun to record these podcasts without any planning or worrying about how my hair looks like. I'll get better over time with more "professional" content.


July 2 = 15 Months


If you made it this far into the post, thank you! I've saved my favorite parts for last.


Today marks 15 months since Teri passed away so I guess it works out that this delayed post is getting done today. Most of the time, it still feels like it was 15 days ago.


Every day I still think a lot about Teri and being OK with just staying single for the foreseeable future. I even bought a new rug on Costco that reminded me of her. I wasn't sure how it would look since I never buy rugs. Teri focused on that stuff.


I asked my siblings about the rug before buying It. Thankfully my sister came through like always, knowing what was really on my mind with choosing this rug:

"It looks like Something Teri would love and goes with current theme so yes"

That made me feel better and got me excited to put it in the bedroom. Did Erwin really buy a rug with some flowers on it for his bedroom? Yes.


I didn't share earlier that coming into VBS week wasn't easy for me. I felt sad and discouraged for the most part for the usual reasons:


  • Teri isn't here to enjoy VBS with us, it was her favorite week of the year

  • It's going to be a long and exhausting week, another ~3 hours at night every day

  • Kids have a lot of energy.... I can't keep up with them


I spent my time every night after VBS re-reading Teri's memory book:

I'd come home pretty happy that the day went well, but sad because the drive home was by myself, without Teri. Reading about her childhood again was a helpful way to reconnect with her and also be reminded that every one of the kids at VBS is writing their own story right now.


I've read this book several times and every time I read it again, I get emotional and get reinspired. I can write a whole book report on this as was well, but since I promised a shorter blog post, I'll share a few quotes that really resonated with me:


I've gone through my memories of hard times to find that those were the times I grown to be a human; to be a better person. Looking back at my life, I've learned that I shouldn't regret because every choice I've made in the past mold me into the person I am today." - Teri, My Memory Book

I spent a lot of time before bed still thinking about the what ifs in life. The Good Energy book gets me thinking... what if Teri and I made healthier choices and that could have kept her on this earth for longer? This quote reminds me to keep moving forward and be thankful that my past experiences, including losing Teri, are molding me into the person I am today.


Teri had a terrible freshman year but things got better in her Sophomore/Junior years. I love this quote regarding rainbows:

"To get to the rainbow, you have to pass through the rain."

In the Epilogue, Teri summarizes her lessons about regrets and references the rainbow:


Well, that's it. It's the end of the memory book. But it's not the end of my memories. I'm looking forward to many more. I admit that I do have some regrets about the past. I wish I had gotten more involved with school early on. I wish I had realized how precious friendship is and how I shouldn't have let go. I also wish I had communicated more with my parents during the earlier part of High School. Even though I do feel those regrets, I wouldn't want to change anything. I wouldn't want to go back. I feel that the choices I've made helped me out. They were mistakes I have made in the past but I'm learning from them. I can reflect on those regrets I have and try to live my life so that I wouldn't make those mistakes again. To get to the rainbow, you must go through the rain..." and even when you get to the rainbow, the world around you is still moist reminding you of the rain you went through earlier to get to the rainbow. - Teri, My Memory Book

Lately I feel like many of my friends and family are in the rain right now. Life has been difficult because of one thing or another. Some have shared the challenges of their work and paying bills. Others are sharing that they know more and more people getting cancer and also passing away because of cancer. Some have their own health issues. Most feel overwhelmed and can't keep up with life. I wish it wasn't always this way. I hope things can get better.


I'm not sure what you're going through or if I can really understand or help. But if I can be of any help, please let me know.


I wish every child could write one of these memory books during their senior year of high school. I feel like I understand Teri's childhood and her stories better than my own since she was such a great writer.


Thank You


I guess my effort to make this concise didn't work out so well :)


Another busy week for me, I'm sure it's the same for you too. Thanks for reading and watching! Happy 4th of July!


TBT to April 9, 2017 in San Diego - Yay Dole Whip!

Blessings,

Erwin


57 views2 comments

Recent Posts

See All

2 Comments


Two comments for you Erwin.

  1. You need more color in your wardrobe

  2. Your perspective on life and your ability to just be who you are no matter what is admirable. While I've only read a handful of your blog posts, I'm always impressed at the number of hobbies/interests/projects you seem to do.

  3. [bonus comment] We should go to lunch with Alastair sometime in the near future.

Edited
Like

Thanks for summarizing the books! I enjoyed the key points and reading your thoughts about them. Living in the here and now is an important one. And also learning the lessons from the trauma and drawing meaning from them moving forward. Trauma should be ignored... hm. Not sure how to feel about that either but I do think it's not good to constantly go back and live in it. Keep the lessons and walk away from it maybe?


Also... thanks for letting us into your closet too. I think most women would not think that this is "a lot" of clothing but we can all aspire to having a closet as neat and organized as yours. :)

Like
bottom of page