Taking my kids to the -has been a fear of mine for years.
Perhaps I watch too much First 48 and Dateline (shoutout to Blayne Alexander and her team), but I convinced myself I wasn’t strong enough to bring the kids to the park in a way they would actually enjoy. It felt like one of those outings where something would inevitably go wrong.
But when daycare closed for Spring Break, I needed to both burn energy and outsmart the twins. They who are remarkably curious... and like ""strategic"" group activities where they escape. So, the park it was.
I packed eight diapers, two toddler leashes, approximately 467 Cheerios, and an apple into their backpacks. I researched parks within 20 minutes of my house and found one with 4.8 stars. I loaded their Jeep wagon into the trunk in case everything fell apart and I needed a quick escape plan.
And then we went. And it was fantastic.
My kids tried the slide, the baby swing, a little whale that rocked back and forth, and they climbed to the top of a tiny treehouse. But something happened that I didn’t expect. I slowed down.
At home I am usually playing music or a podcast in one ear or checking emails on my phone. But at the park, I watched my son slide down on his belly, and I heard my daughter say “ahdeedet” (translation: I did it) when she climbed the ladder rungs herself.
They were filled with joy. And I was so grateful and giddy I could have cried.
I am so grateful they are here. I am so thankful for the time I have with them. And I was surprised by how freeing it felt to simply exist in the moment instead of overthinking every step. I didn’t even realize how calm I felt until we got back in the car and my mind started racing again.
That’s when I noticed something about myself. I had spent years overthinking something as simple as taking my kids to the park, running through every possible scenario of what could go wrong instead of just going. And it made me realize how often we do this in other parts of life too.
Motherhood, and honestly just being human, often requires the same thing great leadership does. You make a plan, tell a few people what you’re doing, and then jump in. Not because you know everything will go perfectly, but because clarity usually comes after movement, not before it. Sometimes the only way to get out of your head is to step fully into the moment in front of you.
What is a simple thing lately that has brought you back to yourself?