Who’s your ginger peachy?

February. I “heart” February. It is, after all, heart month. When I was a youngster and discovered the kitchen calendar, I drew hearts in the little squares leading up to St. Valentine’s Day. I was positive the hearts I drew were works of art, but I had older sisters who delighted in telling me otherwise. My mom just asked if, perhaps in the future, I could make the “little” hearts a bit “littler.” I can only imagine just how big those artfully drawn little hearts must have been. Who knew what my future would bring? Who knew how important heart month would be to me?

During my elementary school years, I fell “in love” with several classmates. Valentine’s Day in the ’50s and ’60s wasn’t like it is today. Teachers didn’t send class lists home so parents could make sure their child gave everyone in the class a valentine. Life isn’t really like that, is it? Some kids had a pile of valentines and others, not so much. Until 2006, although February was heart month, it was mostly valentine month. Oh, I made donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation if a canvasser showed up at my door, but my focus was on the potential of a box of chocolates, some flowers, a card, a romantic dinner and sometimes a trinket of some sparkly kind.

In 2004 my father underwent life-saving, open-heart surgery. I spent several weeks with my parents being the “on site” caregiver to the man who was “the dad” as well as “the mom” who usually held it all together. But February was still about Valentine’s. Who knew? In October of 2006 my very own Valentine became a Health Canada and a Heart and Stroke Foundation statistic. He underwent bypass surgery at Kingston General Hospital. A victim of genetics, but a heart patient all the same. From that day forward, February became heart month and “heart” month. February is the month I truly appreciate the medial research, the skilled diagnosticians and cardiac surgeons. I really “heart” February.

Canadians live longer these days but, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, there is a gap between how long we live and how long we live in good health. That gap is about a decade and the gap is primarily due to heart disease and stroke. We don’t eat properly—maybe too many romantic dinners and boxes of chocolates. We don’t get enough physical activity. We still smoke. We drink too much—and I’m not talking about coffee. And we have far too much stress in our lives. About three in 10 of us don’t believe we’re at risk for heart disease or stroke. About seven in 10 of us don’t know we can seriously reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke by making simple changes in our lifestyle. Apparently, we’re a bunch of “here and now” people. We believe the good times are right here and right now. When we’re asked, we answer how we want to live to a ripe old age that includes lots of travelling, being physically active and, in general, enjoying the good life. We might be saving our loose change for our retirement years but might be spending our fun money on personal service workers and extended care facilities.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, about nine out of 10 adult Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke and four in 10 have three or more risk factors. Additionally, over one million of us are currently living with the effects of heart disease and close to half a million of us are living with the effects of stroke.

February. I truly “heart” February. This month please consider making a donation to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. When you head out to pick up a Valentine’s card, a box of chocolates and a bottle of bubbly for your “ginger peachy” consider treating the “Love of You Life” to a light-hearted dinner, followed by a romantic walk. Give your heart a workout and get ready for a lovely and loving old age!

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca