Hello,
In addition to my professional life, I have an amazing family. This week, I wanted to share a little bit about what life is like for me as a mom these days. I'd love to hear from you what your life outside of work is like for you these days too!
Though I can’t recall when this started, many times when I turn down my dead-end street to drive home with my youngest son, Oliver (who is now eleven), I will stop the car and he will get out and run all the way home. It’s less than .2 miles from the end of the street to my house and he loves this tradition we’ve done for years now. No matter what the weather or the time of the year, if I’m driving, I’ll ask if he wants to run home. Most of the time the answer is yes. His brother, Nolan, who is four years his senior, and his sister Lilia, who has two years on him, at times have teased Oliver for this tradition. At other times, they have joined in. We are all a little (a lot) competitive.
Since I don’t typically drive when we’re going somewhere as a family, we don’t usually stop and run because my husband never makes the offer. However, when we go out to dinner on Saturday nights as a family, I’m the driver on the way home since my husband typically gets a beer or two to drink with his dinner and I don’t drink at all. When I stop, my husband, who can be a curmudgeon sometimes, will turn to me as I’m stopping and say things like, “C’mon Heather. It’s raining” or “Let’s just go home” or “Not tonight.” I always ignore him. Nolan and Lilia will sometimes join in his protests too. I always ignore them too.
As the youngest, Oliver’s generally stuck in the middle seat between Nolan and Lilia. When they are in the car and it’s just him running, he excitedly climbs over one of them because they’re too blasé to get out and let him through. He’s not deterred. He bolts out of the car and starts running. When it’s just Oliver and me, I drive slowly moving my arms back and forth like I’m running and I always let him win. Our smiles can be seen from space and when I get out of the car we excitedly debrief the run.
Two weeks ago, I asked Oliver if he wanted to run home as we approached the end of the street. Of course, he did. Then, despite their protests to just go home, Nolan and Lilia hopped out of the car too and the next thing I knew, all three of my kids sprinted home as
Howard and I watched from the car as if the windshield was a movie screen showing the literal race of our children’s lives from infancy to adulthood. That we got to watch them with their sheer joy of childhood glee and our special tradition was a magical moment for me. It felt surreal because while I was certainly present in the moment, I also knew that I was storing the memory in my head as it happened.
Life is short. Embrace the small moments. Make memories.
~Heather
P.S. My Catch of the Week this week is resting. If you feel hungry, eat. If you feel thirsty, drink. If you feel tired, please rest. That's your body giving you important feedback. If you don't listen when it whispers, you won't have a choice when it starts to shout.
