Making Time to Rest and Restore
Jen:
I’ve been following a piece of advice my son gave me from the backseat on a sunny spring morning over eight years ago, when he was just three years old. That day, I was visibly stressed—rushing to get us all out the door, anxious about being late for an important client meeting. As I buckled my seatbelt to back out of the driveway, he said:
“Mommy, when I feel upset, I try to find something beautiful—and that helps me feel better.”
Those words stopped me in my tracks, and they’ve stayed with me—especially over the past few years.
As we continue to navigate uncertainty, collective stress, and the daily demands of work and life, I keep returning to his wisdom. Every day, I try to find at least one beautiful thing. Most days, I find many.
It’s not a cure-all for the heaviness we often carry, but it does help. Beauty, when we take time to notice it, has a quiet way of restoring us.
Jack:
I’ve been making space for daily care of my mind, body, and spirit.
One way has been through community—helping neighbors access fresh vegetables and herbs by tending to local gardens. I also make time to enjoy nature and move my body, riding 10 miles on my bike each day.
Finally, journaling has become a practice of daily reflection and growth—helping me pause, process, and stay connected to what matters.
Evan:
This year, my family decided to cancel our planned summer trips with extended family. It was a tough call, but the right one. We’re fortunate to have some space outdoors, which has helped us stay grounded—gardening, spotting wildlife, and diving into backyard projects.
That said, the projects have a way of piling up. It started to feel like we were just trading one kind of busy for another. So we made a new rule: we carve out full days to unplug and slow down.
On those days, we bring back elements of family vacations we’ve missed—camping in the yard, cooking over a fire, playing board games, hiking with our three dogs.
They’re not big trips, but they bring us joy. And joy, we’ve learned, is essential.
