A couple months ago, I looked at our calendar and just sat with it for a minute. It was packed. Travel, work deadlines, kids wrapping up school, summer starting, trying to line up people to help watch the kids and the dogs. And I had said yes to all of it.
It was everything I wanted… good things, exciting things, meaningful things, but it was also a lot. In a different season, I probably would’ve hit a wall. I would’ve shut down, pulled away, gone quiet. That used to be my pattern when things got too full.
But for some reason, this time, it felt different. Somehow, in the middle of the busiest stretch we’ve had in a long time, I felt more peace than I’ve felt in years.
I chose gratitude over overwhelm.
That sounds cliché. But it’s what happened.
I started really paying attention to what I had instead of what was pulling at me. I’d look at the schedule and think, Wow, we’re lucky to have this life. I’d see the chaos, the suitcases, the laundry, the groceries that still hadn’t been put away, and then I’d notice the kids laughing, the sun finally out, the fact that we had each other and we were healthy.
It shifted something in me.
One day, one of my boys hugged me and said, “You just seem really happy lately. I can feel it.” That got me. Because if my kids can feel my joy, they can feel my heaviness too. And I don’t want to carry that into their world if I don’t have to.
I protected my mornings.
The days were full, but I got really consistent about how I started them.
Most mornings, I’m up at 4:30. I drink my water, do my workout, walk the dogs, and then sit in the sunroom with coffee and my devotional. Sometimes I’ll make a real breakfast… nothing fancy, just something that feels like I’m taking care of myself before I start taking care of everything else.
I’m not saying it’s easy. But it helps. And on the days I don’t get that time? I feel it. I carry it. I try to catch up in the middle of the day, but it’s not the same.
I started really seeing my kids.
Not just being around them…seeing them.
I’ve made a point to stop and look at their smiles. To put my laptop down when they want to tell me something. To say yes to little moments, like spontaneous nail dates with Haven or exploring an old mine with the boys even when I wasn’t sure it was my thing, and it ended up being really cool.
We’ve had more family dinners. More firepit nights. More ping pong on the back patio. Nothing fancy. Just moments. And they’ve made everything feel lighter.
I slowed down enough to notice the beauty.
I walk barefoot through the yard more lately. I look at my flowers. I listen to the birds (yes, I even downloaded the Merlin app and I’m weirdly obsessed with identifying them). I thank God out loud when something simple brings me joy…the weather, a peaceful moment, even the feel of a warm cup of coffee in my hand.
It’s not about pretending life isn’t full or hard or complicated. It is.
But it’s also beautiful. And sometimes we just need to notice that again.
If you’re in a season like this, here’s what I’d say:
Find a quiet spot — a chair, your porch, the car, wherever.
Take a breath.
Look around.
And start listing the good things out loud, even if they feel small.
The sound of birds. The way your kid laughed. The fact that there’s food in the fridge. The way the coffee tasted this morning.
Thank God for each one.
Not to ignore the hard, but to remember the good is still here too.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
You don’t have to escape your life to find rest.
You don’t need everything to slow down.
Sometimes you just need to slow your heart down enough to see what’s already good.