by Dan | May 10, 2026 | Etc.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you mom’s out there. You know who you are. Whether you have children or not, many of you are a mom to someone…our pets, our nieces/nephews, friends, etc. You are important to many people. You are the “Heart of the Family!” I went and saw my mom in the Nursing home yesterday. She is 92 years old. My Dad passed away 12 years ago. Today would be their 71st Wedding Anniversary. She misses him so much! But like I told my mom yesterday, we still get to enjoy her company yet, and someday, she will be with Dad again. I love her so much!
Megan and Sarah were along as well. Yesterday was the Avera Breast Cancer Run/Walk. It has been a tradition for many of us in our family, starting many years ago with my sister-in-law Joni. We are part of the Pink Panthers team. Yesterday, the day for us was also for my sister Mary, recently diagnosed. We are all getting older…the health risk all go up. But, we can still be together as a family to support each other. That is a tradition my parents instilled in us, and we have been told many times from my mom how proud it makes her, and how happy it makes her, that we all get along, and truly care about each other.
There were over 8,000 people registered to participate in the event yesterday. I truly don’t know of anybody who can say they do not have a relative, or friend, that they have that has not been affected by breast cancer. We need to continue to support “the Heart of the Family”.
Also, to Sarah’s mom Twyla, to my daughter Molly, and especially to my Sarah…
…Happy Mother’s Day! As with yesterday, some runs are about pace. Some are about purpose. Today, I find myself grateful for all the women who carry strength into the lives around them–often more quietly that they realize. You are a mother to your kids…your nieces/nephews…your dogs…your friends. Don’t underestimate your importance, and the role of a “mother” to someone that you are a part of. To the world, you are a mom…but to each of your families, you are the world! The older I get, the more I realize how much of life’s strength comes from the women beside us. Thank you for all you do…not just today…but everyday! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest streak: # 802
by Dan | May 3, 2026 | Etc.
Friday I got a surprise at the door. A package had been delivered to me from a former patient. Thanks Lisa! Inside was a T-shirt and a wooden plaque. The shirts reads: “Retired Doctors Make the Best Grandpa.” The plaque says: “Never underestimate the difference you have made and the lives that you have touched.” Wow!!!
I’ll be honest…I sat with that for a while. Because when you’re in medicine, you don’t really think about it that way. You show up. You see patients. You do your best. You move on to the next one.
Day after day. Year after year. You don’t always see the long-term impact. You don’t always know what stuck. Or what mattered most. Or what someone carries with them after they leave the office. But every once in a while…something like this shows up. And it makes you stop. Over the years I have had the privilege of being part of people’s lives in ways that are hard to put into words. From routine visits…to difficult diagnoses…to moments where all someone really needed was to be heard. And somewhere along the way, those moments add up. Not into something measurable. Not into something you track. But into something meaningful. The gift wasn’t just about a shirt or a plaque. It was a reminder. That the work mattered. That the time mattered. That the connection mattered.
And now, as I step into this next chapter…maybe the title changes. From doctor…to grandpa. From schedule…to time. From constant motion…to something a little more intentional. But the purpose doesn’t really change. It just shows up differently. I’m grateful. For the patients. For the relationships. For the trust. And for the reminders like this…that what we do –day in and day out–can mean more that we realize. I am still striving. Still grateful. Just in a different role. I have looked at both of these gifts’ multiple times over this weekend. Floods of memories come back. Moments of future time with the grandkids floods in. I am lucky…to have done what I did for a career…and to now become fulltime as a grandpa. Because, like the shirt says…”Retired Doctors Make the Best Grandpas!” Keep moving everybody!!!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 795
by Dan | Apr 26, 2026 | Etc.
This weekend, we had the grandkids.
We didn’t do anything big–no big trip, no big plans. Just cards, games, a trip to the park, and a movie at home. Simple. Somewhere between shuffling cards, swings at the park, and sitting together watching a movie, it hit me…These are the moments that matter most! Not the big events. Not the things we plan for weeks. Not the things that fill the calendar. Just time together!
There was no rushing this weekend. No schedule to keep. No place where we needed to go. And maybe that’s what made it feel different. For so many years, life has been built around a schedule–clinic hours, meetings, workouts, responsibilities. Even weekends had a rhythm to them. But this weekend? We just let it happen! And it was enough.
Kids don’t need elaborate plans. They don’t need everything to be perfectly organized. They just need you to be there! To play the game. To go to the park. To sit next to them on the couch. To be present! As I was tucking each in at night, I was getting a bottle ready for Caleb, and Sarah told me Connor, the oldest, wanted to talk. I went into his room, and he goes: “Grandpa, can you snuggle with me?” Of course! We had a nice little talk. He knows they are going back home tomorrow, but he told me he had a lot of fun so far. He even said “Thank you!” We just laid and talked for another 10 minutes. You can just tell how much growing up he has done (now 4, 5 in July). Be present! Watching their smiles, especially Caleb, the youngest, when he is eating! He just had me roaring with laughs!
I’ve spent a lifetime striving–through medicine, through running, through trying to do things the right way. And there’s value in that. But weekends like this remind me that sometimes the best thing we can do…is just show up!
We didn’t do anything special this weekend. And that’s exactly what made it special. Because to my grandkids, Sarah, and I, we did everything special! Still striving. Still showing up. Just in a different way. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 788
by Dan | Apr 19, 2026 | Etc.
It has been quite a week. I have been learning lots of new things! I made it to Wednesday night run club–I have not been at it since Covid–but now I have time. It was a great turnout.
Tuesday night I went to my first camera club meeting. I was very reluctant to go at first and was very nervous because I don’t have all the fancy equipment, or even knowledge to use it. But I like taking pictures. Everyone was very laid back, showing and telling what their interests were. Talk about some amazing photos! I learned things already that first night, and have been practicing some with it since. The theme for next month’s meeting I got to pick: Reflections! This should fit right up my alley! I have been experimenting already with different techniques with the camera.
Thursday morning was a monthly meeting of retired doctors–“Doctor’s without offices”! We just meet once a month for coffee and discussion, and talk about days of practice, and what to all do with retirement. If was very fun seeing these people again. Many I had not worked with for quite a few years now. I am looking forward to this over time.
Yesterday we went to Huron for an author’s conference at the Library there. Megan was one of the speakers! She did great! It was an opportunity to hear about different authors from the state, and about their writing. The theme of the conference was “Find your Joy!” It was very fun, and interesting to hear about other people’s thoughts on writing, and creating a book. I learned some things from all of this. I have been chipping away at writing my “medical thriller”. Will see how this keeps going. They also have a writer’s club that meets monthly in Watertown, and I am planning on going for the first time this coming Tuesday. Same thing, nervous because I don’t know what to expect, but I am going in with the mindset of just hearing about other author’s thoughts on writing, and how they come up with topics!
I have spent a lifetime being a lifetime learner. I don’t see this changing in retirement. But one thing is for now, I am getting to learn new things that are of interest to me that I never had time to work on before. I am loving it! Who knows what the future holds in store going forward. The sky is the limit! The only thing blocking any ideas is what is between my ears. This is the part that is really exciting to think about. Now is the time to learn new things. Be adventurous. Sometimes it may not be comfortable, or anxiety free. This is where strength comes from. If you quit learning, you quit living…
Overall, it is just like running…some days everything falls into place, and other days it is a struggle. Those struggles lead to knowledge, gained from experience, which leads to growth. It may not always be obvious at the time…
So keep showing up. Keep trying. Keep living. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest streak: # 781
by Dan | Apr 12, 2026 | Etc.
My daughter, Megan, recently shared her word for the year: Patience.
It got me thinking. What should mine be? At first, I kept coming back to the word “steady”. That’s who I’ve always tried to be. Steady in my work. Steady in my routines. Steady for my patients, my family, and the people around me. For over 30 years as a Family Physician, steady wasn’t just a word…it was part of my identity. You show up. You do the work. You stay consistent. People count on that.
But this year feels different. Retirement now. A different pace. A different schedule. Different responsibilities. Even different ways of being active. And I realized something as I kept going back and forth between “steady” and another word that kept surfacing…Adapt.
At first, it felt like I had to choose between the two. Stay steady…and learn to adapt. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe it’s not one or the other. Maybe it’s both! Steady is who I am. Adapt is what I’m learning to do. I don’t need to relearn how to be steady. That part of me was built over years…in early mornings, long clinic days, difficult conversations, and showing up when people needed me most. That doesn’t go away because the job title does. But adapting? That’s new. Adapting to retirement. Adapting to a slower pace. Adapting to not being “the doctor” in the same way anymore. Adapting to new rhythms at home and with family. Adapting physically…even in how I exercise. For years, running was my outlet. Right now, the running has been slow. I am now learning Tai Chi. That’s not something I ever pictured myself doing. But it’s what I have been doing every day for the last 5 weeks. I am able to do it. I can slow down…which is the key in Tai Chi. And maybe that’s the point. Adaption isn’t about becoming someone different. It’s about learning how to live well in a different season.
Deep down, I will always be a runner. And, if I’m honest, part of me still wants things to feel the way they used to. There’s comfort in that. But life doesn’t work that way. It keeps moving. It keeps changing. And at some point, we have to decide whether we’re going to resist that…or grow into it. I’m choosing, or at least trying, to grow into it. Not perfectly. But intentionally.
So, if I had to choose a word for the year, it would be: ADAPT! But not at the expense of who I’ve always been. But because I believe this: You can remain steady in your values, your faith, and your character…while adapting to whatever life is asking of you next. And maybe that’s what this season is really about. Not starting over…but continuing forward: Steady…and learning to adapt! Eventually, I will post pictures of me doing Tai Chi…once I get more coordinated with it! But, I keep moving. And you should too! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 774
