If Everything Is Important...

Yesterday finally felt like a breath.

Work settled down enough that I was able to get everything wrapped up for the week.

School was caught up.

The button got pushed.

I streamed.

Not for long.

The medication eventually won that battle, and honestly, I was ready for a good night's sleep.

Sometimes that's exactly what you need.

This morning, my ankle is still reminding me that it exists.

The good news is that after a full night's sleep, I'm a little less convinced it's broken.

That's probably progress.

Whether it's enough progress to actually convince me to go get an X-ray...

Well...

We'll see.

The kids are heading to the lake today.

They've needed it.

Between the rain and the constant threat of storms, they've spent most of the week looking at the water instead of swimming in it.

Today they finally get their chance.

I'm glad.

Children deserve summers that smell like sunscreen, lake water, and damp towels.

Not just another week indoors.

Meanwhile...

Work has decided today is important.

Actually...

Everyone has decided today is important.

Last-minute requests.

Changing priorities.

New fires.

Urgent needs.

Everyone seems convinced that their request belongs at the front of the line.

Here's the problem.

If everything is important...

Nothing is.

One thing I've learned over the years is that my role isn't to decide whose request matters most.

It isn't to elevate one department over another.

Or one title over another.

I honestly don't care what title someone has.

My job is to help.

To guide.

To explain what the data is saying.

To connect people.

To bridge gaps.

I'll gladly help anyone.

But don't mistake urgency for priority.

Those aren't always the same thing.

I've also learned something else.

Processes exist for a reason.

Every once in a while, someone tries to go around them.

Sometimes with a title.

Sometimes with volume.

Sometimes by simply insisting that their emergency should become everyone else's.

That almost never ends well.

I'd much rather spend my energy solving problems than sorting out whose fire deserves the biggest hose.

Tomorrow we'll make the drive to celebrate a life well lived.

One of my mom's oldest friends.

One of my aunts in every way that mattered.

Not by blood.

By choice.

Those relationships are often the strongest ones.

She left her mark on more people than she'll probably ever know.

We'll miss her.

While we're together, we'll also celebrate my mom's birthday a little early.

Life has a funny way of doing that.

Grief and gratitude often arrive holding hands.

We'll tell stories.

We'll laugh.

We'll probably cry.

And somewhere in the middle of it all...

We'll celebrate exactly the way she would have wanted.

I've also been working on something different.

A poem.

It arrived all at once.

Not like a blog post.

Not like an idea.

More like something that had been waiting patiently until I was finally quiet enough to hear it.

When it's ready...

I'll share it.

Though I have a feeling it won't simply be read.

It'll need to be spoken.

As for tonight...

Maybe gaming with friends.

Maybe another stream.

Maybe an X-ray.

Maybe none of those things.

Life has a habit of making those decisions for me anyway.

The older I get, the more convinced I become that discernment is one of the most valuable skills we can develop. Not because it helps us do more, but because it helps us recognize what actually deserves our attention. Every day someone will tell you their problem is the most urgent one in the room. Sometimes they're right. Often they're simply standing closest to you.

I'm learning that the same thing happens outside of work. Worries compete for our attention just as loudly as requests do. A sore ankle. A missed stream. A long drive. A memorial service. A poem waiting to be written. The trick isn't making everything fit. It's knowing what deserves your heart today and trusting that tomorrow will have room for the rest.

Much love.

Stay safe.

Wash your damn hands.

And I will see you, next time.