Good Life Newsletter

This week, we’re diving into the fleeting time we share with our kids and reflecting on what it all means. It’s kind of a reminder of where we’ve been.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who reached out to me last week. Writing about loss is tough, but your support really touched me. Recently, while looking back—particularly after those tragic floods in Texas—I started realizing how quickly my girl is growing up. They still depend on me a lot, which makes it easy to see them as little kids. Yet, time is slipping away faster than I ever thought it would.

One of my friends really dislikes expressions like, “Time is a thief” or “I blink, and suddenly they’re grown.” I get why it bothers her; after all, we all have the same amount of time each day. It’s something that can’t change. But as my oldest son is gearing up for high school this fall, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve lost some precious moments. Her first words, those wobbly first teeth, the very first hug—those memories feel distant.

Still, I had a moment this weekend during our nightly prayer that kind of grounded me. No matter how tall she gets (she’s about my height now), she’ll always be my little girl. During prayer, she snuggled next to me, and I was a bit surprised to see her find comfort in that. Even hanging off the edge of the chair, she was light and relaxed as I wrapped my arms around her.

My husband caught a smile on his face, knowing how much that moment meant to me. She sought comfort in me, which makes me hopeful that as she grows into adulthood, she’ll continue to see me as a source of support.

Of course, I wish that for all girls, but I focus more on her because she’s the oldest and hitting all those milestones first. At the same time, I try not to take for granted those moments when she still wants to curl up next to me.

Sometimes, I feel torn between two worlds—one where my oldest daughter chats about high school, boys, and potential colleges, and another where I’m swept into the imaginative Barbie world created by my younger ones.

This balancing act can be emotionally draining. I can’t quite put it into words. I want to pour all my love and attention into them, so they know, without a doubt, that I’m grateful to be their mom.

So when my daughter snuggled into my arm, whether she was aware of it or not, it eased that fatigue. I found myself in this small space where I wasn’t caught between preschoolers and young adults. It felt wonderfully simple.

I’m not sure how many moments like this I’ll have, but I know I’ll cherish them as I embrace my favorite role.

I frequently talk about the importance of guiding a child through love and connection. But in that moment of emotional whirlwind, it was her presence that truly anchored me.

I hope more women grasp what they miss out on when they choose not to have children. There’s no way to adequately describe how it feels to have someone so safe and secure in your arms, almost like your body is a cloud. It requires a certain bravery to surrender to the unknown and experience it firsthand.

As we look forward to new adventures this year, especially her first prom, I find myself more at peace. Even as she grows older every year, that need for affection remains, and I hope it’s something my other daughters feel too.

This week’s observations:

Recently, Elon Musk introduced a concerning new feature for his AI system, Grok. He’s calling it “friends,” and I have a bit of a rule against trusting adults who are into anime. When Musk shared Grok’s peer traits, it raised red flags for me. The program relies on cartoon characters, and referring to them as “companions” tends to strip away the essence of genuine relationships. What’s being sold as innovation feels more like a deepening erosion of human dignity.

If you have thoughts or questions, please reach out. I may not respond to every message, but I’ll do my best to read them all. Building this community is one of my favorite parts of this experience.

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This message has been adapted for a weekly perspective on navigating modern culture and maintaining sanity.