Party Favors From Heaven

Make no mistake; some are different for men and women, some are the same, and some are mixed.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

On the first day of December 1923, a baby boy was born in Larvik, Norway. Shortly after birth, he became seriously ill. Thinking their infant son was dying, his parents called in a priest to give him an emergency baptism.

“What is his name?”, the priest asked. “Just call him Jacky”, said his father who had a good friend named Jacky.

Despite the odds, the baby survived. He later had a full baptism and received his rightful legal name. But for family and friends, the nickname Jacky stuck.

Jacky grew up. His mother died when he was only nine years old. He left home at 15, sailed for the Norwegian Marines during WW2, and became my Dad. Because I looked and had personality traits like him, they called me Lille Jacky (little Jacky).

I adored him, and I loved to be compared to my father. He could open a soda bottle with his teeth, peel an orange in one shot, play an accordion, and play spoons on his lap. He wrote beautiful poetry, made roses bloom, and he would chew ice cream.

My father rose early in the morning to watch the sunrise. He sat on the outside stoop to drink coffee and smoke cigarettes, while waiting for my Mom to get up. He was strong. We kids often lined up, made ourselves straight and stiff like a pole, and giggled as he lifted us high up in the air.

He cursed, and he said vamos (come on in sailor talk) when he was annoyed and in a hurry, waiting for us kids to get ready. Often I worried that he would quarrel with my Mom, but when he called me “jenta mi”, (my girl in Norwegian), I was over the moon happy.

My father was a whale hunter. During my early childhood, he spent eight months per year away from home, whaling in Antarctica. But the Norwegian whaling industry came to an end in the early 1960’s , and he was then employed on a Swedish cargo ship.

I wrote him loving letters that he faithfully answered. We even had a secret plan of buying a boat together on his next homecoming. I dreamt that we would fish and cruise the Larvik fjord together. I counted the days for his return home.

Then, something terrible happened when I was 14, and I no longer wanted to be like him.

One day in January 1965, the month after he had turned 41, we received a telegram from his ship owning company.

While the ship was at sea, heading for Australia, my dad told his ship mates that he was not feeling well. He said that he was going to his cabin to rest.

Later, they found him in his cabin, deceased.

My mom was informed that he had died from an acute heart attack.

From that day on, at age 14, I carried an extreme fear of dying prematurely from a heart attack. After all, I was lille Jackie.

But I didn’t, and neither did my three adult children who knew the story and feared the same. We were scared straight.

In fact, I am now 73 years old with excellent cardiovascular health. Still, I do not make the right lifestyle choices at all times, but I do make good choices most of the time.

My claim to fame is that I became a nurse and I learned the risk factors for heart disease. In my early nursing days, I started to teach patients and people in my community the signs and symptoms of chest pain. I learned about heart disease prevention.

Best of all, I learned the secret of how to enjoy, but how NOT to fall into the Pleasure Trap. Not falling into the pleasure trap can prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It can keep us afloat, better and longer.

This, I want to share with you.

Today, Friday December 1, 2023, I celebrate my father’s 100th birthday in heaven. Trust me, I am going to party hardy. I may drink more than one glass of red wine, enjoy a delicious meal, and eat chocolate cake for dessert. Best of all, I will treasure every precious little memory that I have of him.

But before I celebrate, I have a gift for you.

Some gifts are not appreciated, I get that. But this gift, my dear reader, please accept it with grace. If you don’t really want it, you don’t have to take it. You are a free man, in a free land.

But take the gift anyway. If you do not take it for yourself, give it to someone else. Give it to your parents, your kids, your sisters and brothers, your friends, your neighbors, or pass it on to a high risk person who lives in a minefield.

It could save your life or someone else’s life. It could influence many, many more lives and save misery and suffering, despair, and unbelievable pain.

It may prevent some children from never knowing their parents, or never knowing their grandparent. It may prevent parents from losing their adult children, your sister, your brother, and your friend. This party favor can save valuable culture traditions ; the kind that are only transferred through generations.

This is my gift to you, the party favors from my father’s 100 birthday in heaven.

You may NOT want to read this, because it may not interest you. After all, you, my dear reader, have no plans of suffering or dying from a heart attack, right? Neither did my father.

Photo by Tony Litvyak on Unsplash

But first, some important statistics, that may not be common knowledge, courtesy of the American Heart Association (AHA), who are relentless in trying to educate us about cardiovascular diseases.

• Coronary heart disease, including a heart attack, is the number 1 cause of death in the United States.
• About every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. will have a heart attack.
• Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, others may start slowly, with mild pain and discomfort.

With the help of the American Heart Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I give you this gift. It is called,

The Warning Signs Of A Heart Attack

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes — or it may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of breath. This can occur with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs. Other possible signs include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

Heart attack Symptoms in Women, thank you again, AHA

We can speak about gender equality until the cows come home. The fact is, women are different from men, and may experience a heart attack in a different way. Also, because women are wired differently, our perception differs from men. Here is information about how women may experience a heart attack.

If you have any of these signs, call 911 and get to a hospital right away.

1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.
5. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women may experience other symptoms that are typically less associated with heart attack, such as shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

We’ve all seen the movie scenes where a man gasps, clutches his chest and falls to the ground. In reality, a heart attack victim could easily be a woman, and the scene may not be that dramatic.

Even when the signs are subtle, the consequences can be deadly, especially if the person doesn’t get help right away.

How can I help to avoid a heart attack?

• Don’t smoke or vape and avoid second-hand smoke.
• Keep your blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg.
• Get your cholesterol checked and talk to your health care professional about your numbers.
• Eat foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, sodium (salt) and added sugars.
• Be physically active. Aim for least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.
• Reach and maintain a healthy weight. A normal body mass index is between 18.5–24.9.
• Keep your fasting blood sugar less than 100 mg/dL or an A1C of less than 5.7%.
• Get enough sleep. Aim for an average of 7–9 hours of sleep a day.
• Get regular medical check-ups.
• Take your medication as prescribed. If you think you may be having a heart attack, don’t hesitate… call 911 or your emergency response number immediately. Making the call could save your life.

This is my personal addendum

Following the guidelines above is more than just a good idea. But nobody does the right thing at all times in order to create perfect cardiac health. I sure don’t, and my blood pressure is often borderline high.

But we have to choose our battles. We cannot ignore our health. Taking responsibility for our own health does not automatically save us from a heart attack, but it does reduce the odds of becoming a victim.

By adopting good sleeping habits, nourishing diet intake, and increasing daily physical activity, we can let go of health worries because we are putting in the effort. Instead, we can focus and be grateful for all the goods that show up in our life.

The greatest gift we can give ourselves is to be happy. Interact with family, friends, and people who support us, help those who have less than us, and develop and practice our personal unique abilities, and passions. Studies show that having a positive outlook in life improves our cardiovascular health.

The important thing is that you do need to KNOW about self preservation and how to save your own life. Know what a heart attack is, know what the signs and symptoms are, and know that you must call 911 ASAP and get yourself, or someone else, to the emergency room.

Time is heart muscle. Getting early intervention can make the difference in the degree of damage to the heart. The sooner you get there, the sooner they can treat you, and the better chance you have to save your heart and your life. You are worth it and your family is worth it.

The Bonus gift is from the American Heart Association; Life’s Essential 8 outlines a few easy steps you can take to live a healthier lifestyle. In your own time, print it out, read it, and let it guide your daily activities, as best as you can.

With this, I say Happy 100 Birthday in Heaven, my beloved Pappa.

I wish I had known you better. Thank you for the times that you did spend with me. I never got the boat, but I love the ocean as much as you did. I love to garden, but I don’t have as much luck with roses as you did. But I love to write as much as you did. I am your lille Jacky, still.

Photo by Richard Burlton on Unsplash

Last, but not least; thank you for prompting me to write this article with your heart attack inspired Party Favors From Heaven. Maybe, it will make a positive difference in the life of another child. I think it will.

Thank you, dear reader. Please share this vital information with someone that you care about. We need each other; we are in this Uni(one)verse all together, all of us.

I have one more gift for you, my reader. A FREE E-book, called 10 Steps to Better Health and More Happiness at Any Age.

🇳🇴Annelie Holmene Pelaez believes that everyone has an attribute to share with others. Promoting cardiovascular health and helping adults over age 65 is her contribution. When we don’t let age define us, but rather empower us to grow, we discover health and happiness are byproducts of who we are.

Annelie is the author of the book, Say Yes to A Better Life, available at Amazon.