Showing Up Anyway

You know those mornings where nothing big happens, but everything feels a little more settled? That was today for me.

Not loud. Not exciting. Just aligned. I noticed it on the drive to work, when my thoughts weren’t tripping over each other for once. No rush. No spiral. Just this quiet sense of, okay, I’m here. This is fine.

It’s gloomy out. Full gray sky, heavy air, classic Wednesday energy. Yesterday felt off, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. Today feels different. Clearer. Not in a life-changing way, but in a steady, observant way.

Some of that might be the music. I found a new tune addiction, “My Favorite Coffe House” on Spotify. I’ve been bouncing between iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Spotify lately, and this playlist landed right where I needed it. Soulful. Calm. Still enough energy to keep me moving. It’s been playing on the drive in and in my earbuds throughout the day. Sometimes the right music does more for your nervous system than caffeine ever will.

Speaking of caffeine, we forgot our Mixed-Up Mobile office order yesterday. No fun energy drink waiting for me this morning. Small thing, but it matched the mood. I still showed up though. Coffee in hand. Vanilla tea riding shotgun. And listen, I hate vanilla unless it’s ice cream, coffee creamer, or cake, but Bigelow surprised me. I’ll say it out loud. It’s good.

Kelly heads to her dad’s until Friday evening. No lessons scheduled tonight. Riding is still non-negotiable for the twins, and honestly, that feels grounding. I’ve got time to breathe. Time to work my own horses. Time that isn’t borrowed or rushed. Those windows don’t open often, so when they do, I take them without guilt.

I still haven’t grocery shopped. No pickup. No delivery. I don’t have time, I don’t want to spend the extra money, and I’m stubborn. So instead, I’m getting creative. Pantry roulette. Freezer archaeology. Clearing out the random stragglers from old grocery runs and calling it resourceful instead of cheap. Same thing, different tone.

I’m stuck in a long meeting today, but I can see out the window. There’s a small streak of sunshine hitting the buildings across the street, and it hit me harder than expected. Just a reminder that light shows up even when the day feels heavy. You don’t always have to chase it. Sometimes you just notice it.

It’s Wednesday. January 7th. Seven days into 2026 already. How has it been for you so far? Not the filtered answer. The real one.

I’m still soul searching. Still choosing positive on purpose. Still working on not letting one off day turn into a whole off week.

And then there’s Kelly. She tried out for the Scholastic Bowl team and she made it. I’m so damn proud of her. This was her first real team. She had to step up, risk rejection again, and put herself out there. She did it anyway. I hope this win sticks. I hope it reminds her that trying is always worth it.

We didn’t ride last night. Instead, we sat down. All five of us. We talked about helping more. Being kinder. Asking questions before melting down. Using words instead of noises when things feel big. Turning off electronics in the car and at the dinner table. That stuff worked when they were little. They’re growing now. Real life requires real communication, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Nothing about today is flashy. No big wins. No perfect plan.

Just real life. A good playlist. A sliver of sunshine. And the quiet work of showing up anyway.

So I’ll leave you with this.

Seven days into the new year, what’s actually true for you right now? Not what you planned. Not what you posted. What’s real.

What’s grounding you this week? What’s draining you? And what’s one small thing, maybe unexpected, that’s keeping you moving forward anyway?

Say it out loud. Write it down. Share it here if you feel like it. Real life counts too.