Playing Catch with My Mother 　　(2023.12.31)

Since 2020, I've made it a habit to occasionally play catch with my mother, ideally once every two weeks.

My mother is now 77 years old. It's incredible that she can still play catch at that age.

There are several reasons why I started playing catch with her.

Firstly, it's to get some exercise, simply put. I had been running since I was 17, but I hadn't been doing much to work out my upper body. So playing catch seemed like a good way to engage my upper body.

To be honest, another reason is that I was quite bad at controlling the ball and wanted to practice. Initially, the ball would never go where I intended, often veering off in completely wrong directions. I wanted to correct that, and now, thanks to the practice, I can throw the ball to my intended target with about an 80% success rate.

Moreover, I'm truly happy to be able to exercise with my mother. I know that as we age, our strength will inevitably decline, but I want to maintain our ability to play catch for as long as possible. I invite my mother to play catch, hoping it keeps her healthy and energetic. Thankfully, she always responds with pleasure.

To successfully throw the ball to my mother, there are two important things I keep in mind: 1) VISUALIZE the ball reaching her, and 2) throw with the correct FORM. Both are crucial, and missing either means the ball won't reach her. If that happens, she has to go far to pick up the ball, something I'd rather avoid. So, I always try to focus on these two aspects.

When playing catch with my mother, I practice these two important elements: "intention" and "structure". I believe that in anything we do, whether it's work, study, or everyday life, "intention" and "structure" are vital. Without a clear "intention", things don't work out well. And just having an "intention" without a good "structure" isn't enough. These lessons are something I remind myself of while playing catch.

That's why playing catch with my mother holds a special meaning for me. I hope we can continue this for as long as possible. May my mother remain fit and healthy forever.

This year, too, I've been happy and grateful to spend another healthy year with my mother.

Thank you!!