It’s Thursday and I’m sitting on a park bench, working on a client’s content calendar. The breeze is gentle, the sun is warm, and in the distance, I can see both my children; one in playgroup, one in pre-K. They’re learning, playing, and soaking up life. And here I am, working remotely, doing work I genuinely enjoy with the kind of flexibility I once only dreamed of. In this moment, I am content. I am at peace.

This week has had its fair share of challenges. I had a prospect that I’d built up in my mind, over-inflated it, if I’m being honest. I was so sure it was going to be a game changer – the kind that moves mountains and checks off boxes. But when the actual offer came in, it was far from what I had imagined. I was disappointed and downcast.

So, I did what I always do – I reached out to my support system. First, my therapist. I vented, rambled, tried to make sense of why it hurt so much. And her response was hard to swallow but what I needed to hear: “It may be tough to see this as a win right now, but can you try to see it as getting one step closer to the life you want?”

I sat with that. Let it roll around in my mind. One step closer to the life I want. Maybe this wasn’t the mountain-moving moment I had dreamed of, but it was still a step. And one forward, no less.

My close friends reached out too. They echoed similar sentiments – that this was a stepping stone, a bridge, not the final destination. It might not be the dream gig I had envisioned, but it’s certainly in the right direction. And that reframing helped. It didn’t erase the sting, but it softened it just enough.

And as I sit here on this bench, I can feel the tension easing. There’s something about being outside, hearing the happy sounds of children playing, and just soaking in the stillness that makes it easier to see the bigger picture. It hits me – I am already living in one of my answered prayers. Before I had kids, life was that typical 8-to-5 grind, full of routine and tasks that seemed to blend into one another. Now, as a consultant, I work on my own schedule, with clients I actually like. And I get to be present. Really present. That’s not something I take lightly.

Of course, there have been sacrifices. My kids come first, always. Even before myself. That’s both a sacrifice and a privilege, and it’s one I wouldn’t trade for anything.

It’s funny how life moves in seasons. Sometimes you’re planting, putting in the hard work with no visible reward. Sometimes you’re waiting, unsure if anything will grow from your efforts. And sometimes, things just bloom, almost effortlessly. I think I’m somewhere in between right now – in a season of growth, where I’m putting in the work and waiting to see what takes root. It’s not always easy, and it’s not always how I envisioned it, but it’s mine.

Gratitude doesn’t make everything perfect. It doesn’t take away the sting of disappointment or erase the uncertainties ahead. But it does make me pause and notice what’s working. And right now, in the not-yet and the almost-but-not-quite, I can see that I am still standing in a moment I once wished for. And that feels like enough.