Are you present?

All I wanted to do this week was snuggle with my daughter.

Crawl in bed and feel her head nestled on my shoulder.

To listen attentively as she tells me the intricate details, repeatedly, so she can get it just right, of the inner workings of her day as she processes all that she is learning, navigating and adjusting to as a result of our big move.

For the first time since moving from DC to Colorado two months ago, I can tell she feels safe enough to tell me all she has to say.

And I dare not interrupt her flow or clip her wings, for I know her voice is precious to her, and to me.

Details of her coming and goings, the how-to-guide from the visiting dentist at school to help her keep her teeth clean and the structure that comes with all the rules she’s excited to follow.

I want to cherish this moment as a parent.

They all haven’t been this joyful.

It’s been a rocky five years.

I don’t want to take for granted the sweetness of my little companion.

Her heart is sensitive, and I want to protect it, nourish it, and strengthen it so she can stay grounded in who she is.

This week I had a health scare. And it put my life immediately into perspective.

I am thankful that I found the courage over the last few years to make deliberate, hard, and necessary changes in my life to align with what’s important to me and how I want to spend my days.

Realizing our own mortality is scary and can be jolting. But it also can also serve as an awakening.

I realized that for the first time, probably since the pandemic, I am truly present in the moment.

There are a lot of balls in the air for me right now. I am running out of capacity in my arms to carry them all. Some will inevitably drop. And there is a lot I want to share that needs to be said.

But for now, my message is to embrace the present. Listen attentively to your loved ones when they talk to you.

Tune in to your body and learn to recognize what it needs. I worked out at the barre four days in a row this week – I needed to move my body now more than ever. I made the time.

Find the people, places and things that bring you joy and prioritize them.

Take risks. Make bold decisions even when you are scared.

We only get one chance in this wild and sacred life. Make the most of it.

For the world needs who you were made to be.