My husband bought me an Apple Watch for my birthday back in December.  We had to order it, because they didn’t have the size/color I wanted, so I finally received it a few days before the new year.  Apple products have some of the best packaging, and I remember distinctly watching its delivery status online (I had to be home to sign for it) and when it arrived, carrying it like precious jewels or paper-thin crystal up the stairs to my kitchen to unwrap it at the island.  Every moment was breath-taking.  It was so beautiful.

I was so insanely in love with it within minutes that I promptly told my husband (who had a watch he very much-loved) that he needed to get an Apple Watch immediately.  And so, despite some grumbling, he did.

And we have both been addicted since this year began.  I have missed only two days of completing my circles (Move, Exercise and Stand) ~ the first was a sync problem when I got a new phone (February 25th) and the second was this past Sunday, when I was certain that my fatigue was going to overrun my life.  I am sad about both days (I am very competitive) but what is even more important is how much the watch has changed our lives.

Hubs, who was a college athlete but hated working out, has begun riding a stationary bike every day in our garage (we do this together since we have 2 bikes …. see my previous post my bike is a very, very, very nice bike).  Sometimes we trail ride (although this is challenging on a number of fronts because of my absurd fatigue – thank you MS – and our inability make decisions in a timely fashion to avoid the heat).  I have found – in the six months of having my watch – that I’ve made more progress than I made all last year while riding the bike, probably because now the watch motivates me.  I can walk away from my phone when Lucy and I go for walks, because calls and texts (and email!) all pop up on my watch.  Hurrah!  This past Sunday I tried to leave my watch on the charger all day … but JUST.COULDN’T.DO.IT.  So I settled for closing my Stand rings and trying not to feel too sad about my Exercise and Move (since I’d made the decision to give my body a rest).

It is one of my favorite things.

In the four and half years I’ve had MS, I’ve learned so many things about keeping my disease under control.  It isn’t just about medicine, and it isn’t just about food and exercise.  It’s about all of that, and having faith in the decisions you are making, and waking up every day ready to give it your all once again.  The mornings are tough for me — my body usually hurts, and if I’m lucky I wasn’t up several times in the night to use the bathroom.  But once I’m vertical, it’s about making the best choices I can.  This watch has helped me do that, day after day, when I’m tired, when I’m sad, when I just don’t feel like it.

As John gears up to begin his new job next week by having drinks and dinner with some new co-workers, I’m at home, trying to find my direction.  And as silly as it sounds, my direction has begun to begin with my Watch.  Get up.  Move around.  Get sweaty.  I’ve learned that those things are invaluable to feeling better, feeling focused and motivated.

So, this is just a little love note to my Apple Watch, and also to my husband, for getting it for me in the first place.  He always seems to have an uncanny ability to get me things that fill my life up with happiness and joy.