Dave’s Diary – Memorial Day Memories – Stay Positive

 We have so much for which to be thankful, I hope we all take a moment on this weekend to really focus on the sacrifices our amazing ancestors made so that we can enjoy the lives we have.

 One common thread I have found in the “greatest generation” is an optimistic outlook and  according to researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health you have a lower risk for heart attacks and strokes if you have a positive attitude! They reviewed more than 200 studies to arrive at this conclusion. While it's long been known that those who have negative mental states, including depression, anger, anxiety and hostility, are more at risk for heart health problems, this study showed the opposite is also true: Positive feelings, including higher levels of satisfaction, optimism and happiness, appear to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

"The absence of the negative is not the same thing as the presence of the positive," lead author Julia Boehm, a research fellow in the department of society, human development, and health, said in a university news release. "We found that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction and happiness are associated with reduced risk of [cardiovascular disease] regardless of such factors as a person's age, socioeconomic status, smoking status or body weight." And that lower level of risk is significant.

So put your mind on positive…be thankful for what we have and for those who secured it for us all.  Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day weekend brings a flood of memories.  Trips to the small rural cemetery to put flowers on family graves, community picnics in the park, quizzing my father about his WW II navy experiences....  he was on a troop transport that was struck by a Japanese Sub fired torpedo.  One bulkhead away from where he slept, 19 of his buddies were killed.