Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.

- Carl Jung

My Dad celebrated his 88th birthday this week. My family and I gathered together at my sister's house to honor my Dad on his special day. I sat across the table from my Dad while we all enjoyed a delicious dinner. I watched him engage in conversation and really studied his face...searching for any telltale signs of aging that another year of life might bring.

There was nothing different about my Dad. His skin still looked fabulous. He ate his meal with gusto and savored his glass of red wine as he normally does. He and my Mom shared their frustration over those darn neighbor's cats that keep trying to kill their birds in the backyard.

I'm not really sure what I was looking for exactly, but my observations that night led me to the conclusion I already knew…he is in amazing shape for his age.

My brother asked my Dad, "What's your secret to good health?" and my Dad's response was something I've heard before. "It's all about faith, family, diet and exercise", he answered. I'm not sure if the order of his "secrets" matter or if they change depending on life circumstances, but I've known my Dad long enough to know that they are all very important to him. And, I have to believe he's on to something here.

Now, I'm not saying that my Dad is perfect…although as his youngest daughter I have a hard time seeing his faults. He's always been there for me and has loved me unconditionally so I have a tendency towards admiring my Dad's integrity, honesty, etc. rather than focusing on his faults. However, I admit that I've seen him indulge in cake and ice cream occasionally, and I'm sure there have been days when he just didn't feel like working out.

However, I have vivid memories of exercising alongside my Dad while mimicking Jack Lalanne on T.V. And, I remember growing up on oatmeal and cream-of-wheat for breakfast. Dad would throw in a little wheat germ for an additional boost. Also, my father loves to walk. Any opportunity to take a walk and he would jump on it.

Family gatherings and vacations were and still are extremely important to my Dad. I can't say there is one holiday, birthday or wedding that my Dad has missed celebrating with the family, unless he just wasn't feeling well. The same can be said of his church attendance. Sunday mass was not to be missed in our household. Of course, I didn’t mind too much because we went out for breakfast after church nearly every Sunday.

These days my parents attend church services more days out of the week than not. And, after over 40 years of volunteering his time and energy towards helping the needy, Dad is finally cutting back the amount of time he spends doing this work he so passionately loves.

Bottom line...my Dad doesn't eat crazy food or run marathons, he just chooses to take great care of his health. And, he's done this for as long as I can remember. It's really pretty simple. The secrets to longevity aren't about anything more than prioritizing the things that matter most when it comes to our health and wellness. Faith, Family, Diet and Exercise.

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