Don't Underestimate What You Already Do

Don't Underestimate What You Already Do - Seriously.

Since this group started back in April, we've had so much fun talking about all sorts of ways to build stronger connections with the ones we love.

But there's one thing we haven't talked about, and it's actually really important, so hear me loud and clear:

Don't underestimate what you already do. It makes such a difference.

Do you make breakfast - even if it's toast or bowls of cereal or giving directions to kids on how to fix it themselves?

Do you wash loads of dishes or load the dishwasher or help kids with chores?

Do you plan meals, shop for groceries, tackle mountains of laundry, work full-time or part-time to buy those groceries, drive to friend meet-ups and activities, organize doctor's visits, save for college, homeschool or help with homework, plan family vacations, make smoothies, keep your house tidy (or at least livable), scrub bathrooms, give snuggles at bedtime, ask about their day, or a combination of like things?

If you do even one of those things, you are already doing so much to connect with them - you're showing up.

So keep showing up, and keep doing it well.

This one snuck up on me yesterday. I was talking with someone who was asking me about my childhood, and as I sat there telling her about the family dinners, softball trips, and college conversations that let me know my parents loved me, I immediately thought, "What will my own kids say when someone asks about their childhood 10, 20 or 30 years from now?"

What will they remember most? Will it be the road trips we took or the nights when we camped under the stars? Or will it be a clean(ish) home and eating meals together, the giggles at bedtime, and how they knew they were loved because of the "normal" stuff?

Honestly, I don't know what they'll remember most, but I do know that all of it matters - every single bit.

So, if you're someone who looks at a "normal" day and immediately feels a little guilty, thinking, "We should go do something today - something really cool - but we can't, can we? Because work or chores or something else 'normal' is standing in our way," I want you to stop today and breathe in the normal. Be thankful for it, and know that you're showing up is a HUGE way to connect with the ones you love. 

How do you find a way to appreciate the normal stuff of life with those you love?

Come on over to the email group and join the discussion.