Each week (usually on Friday), I like to follow Brené Brown’s example and reflect with a practice she calls TGIF: Trust, Gratitude, Inspiration and Fun.
This week was a busy one for my family. We officially “kicked off” our summer with our first week of Summer Camp at our Martial Arts studio, which meant that we worked an extra 25 hours this week. It’s fun and exhausting.
Trust:
At the beginning of the week, we had some hiccoughs: an unplanned visit to the pediatrician for one of my daughters and a sick employee. A year or two ago, either of these would have been enough to send my week into a tailspin. This year, having been on this rodeo a few times, I had my basics in place. A good meal plan. Morning exercise. And extra help available that I called in.
I trusted that I could handle it. I trusted my plan. I knew which things I could let go (which included this blog for most of the week — sorry loyal readers), and which things I needed to be sure to keep in (starting the day with exercise).
I made it through the week without hating everyone and everything OR over-consuming coffee. It feels so good.
Inspiration:
One of the things that gives me life is doing some kind of morning movement and listening to a podcast. This week, I caught up on a Ted Radio hour episode called “Climate Crisis” that I’d been avoiding listening to because climate change is a big, scary problem that I don’t feel super empowered to do much about.
However, I feel inspired and convicted by this episode. I think about the life I’ve had and the world I have gotten to live in, and I want my daughters to grow up in a world that is as comfortable as the one I grew up in. So, you’ll probably read me talking a bit more about recycling, composting, eating less meat, and other things that individuals can do to be a part of saving planet.
Gratitude
As I mentioned above, we had an unexpected visit to my pediatrician this week, and I am so grateful to my daughter’s pediatrician, and family doctor’s in general. I went to college with a LOT of pre-med people who are now doctors. I’m aware of the fact that medical education is so expensive that most doctors choose to specialize and/or work for hospitals (usually in a big city) because they have so many educational expenses. In a smaller community like mine, that can lead to a real shortage of general practitioners, private practice doctors, and pediatricians.
My daughters go to a wonderful private practice family pediatrics office. They see the same doctor every time. They work in same day visits. They’ve worked with me when we had insurance and when we didn’t to help them get the care they needed. I know that none of those things are easy, and I’m so grateful that there are people who do it anyway.
Fun
We took a family trip to Target this week to replace a broken appliance, and I made an impulse purchase that I am really excited about: unicorn popsicle molds. 
Normally, I would have felt like $10 on something like this was “frivolous,” but fun is an important part of life, and my daughters won’t love unicorns forever. So, we’re embracing the phase.
Also, in the spirit of things to do with your kids in the Summer, popsicles are so great for hydration and when you have your own molds, you can decide how much sugar to put (or not put) in them.
On the Banks 