a letter to my body

Dear Body,
Thank you for the 24 years of wear and tear you pushed through, for the times I have pushed you too far, left you without enough sleep and nutrients, and ignored your cries of pain. It was wrong. Thank you for the 24 years of strength, determination, and persistence. You work so hard for me.
I want to make a promise to you. I promise that I will be more conscious of what I am giving you to work it. I will eat more good things and less bad things (sorry but I have to give the tongue what it wants too so good tasting food, even if it isn't good for me is still going in. You know that if the tongue were to get angry about missing out on all the good food I would blame you; not taking the blame for that one! And so I'm not going to give it up completely. Hope you understand.) I will also give you more sleep. This will not be easy. Many people are demanding of me (work, kid, man, family...). I am demanding of me. My mind likes to stay sharp, my soul needs to stay peaceful, and my hands must be busy. Since we like to stay busy, it should be OK, but I promise to keep you well rested. It is not fair for me to demand that you work 4 days a week, keep up with laundry, pick up the house, and don't forget how much I like to walk. So I will be making an effort to give you more sleep to work with.
You probably don't need to be carrying around this extra few pounds on your tummy and in between your legs either. That is just more work for you to do. I know how it is to do work only to see that someone else has created more work for you, all without much thanks. (thank you!) I will try VERY HARD to not stuff you full. (Blame the tongue again!) Since you don't need any extra work, I will try to get rid of those extra few pounds, maybe I can burn the fat and increase the muscle so you can have more help!
I will create more balance for you. I know which muscles need some strengthening and which ones need rest. I know when I need more sleep (thanks for all the signals) and I know when I need to get up and move! Because you work so hard, you give me so much, you ask so little, and you sacrifice beyond anything I might be willing to give up.
But just so you know, creating balance will require a little bit from you too. You will get tired but I need you to keep pushing. you will get sore but we need to recover quickly. I promise to take care of the pain I can help but some, like the burn of muscles being worked, I can do nothing about. Help me to push through it. There will be days when we are exhausted from working but help me by mustering more energy to get to the gym or go for a walk. We can do this, but I need your help!

(I saw this idea in a magazine. By speaking to my body as my partner through life rather than just something to improve or show off, I feel for it. I have realized just how selfish my actions towards my body have been. I have different motivations to eat healthy, to exercise regularly, to get in shape. In doing this I create a stronger me; my heart is healthier, my bones stronger and more protected, my immune system stronger, my brain shaper. I have more energy to do the things I enjoy doing, I am happier. )