The first day we went to the park in San Ramon, we were excited about Ishu being able to use his scooter. So the focus was on getting bundled up, getting his helmet on, and getting out the door.

When we got there, I noticed his nose was running. None of us had tissues or wipes in our pockets so we made do.

We wiped his face off with water from the water fountain.

Similarly, when he got thirsty, we realized we didn’t bring his water bottle. But we made it work. Nikku lifted him up so he could reach the fountain.

We made do.

We can always make do. Most human beings can adapt if need be.

But the thing is…

…when we went to the park the following day, I thought about these two things. It would have been more convenient (and we would have a happier toddler) if I could bring wipes and his water bottle with us.

So I did.

It was a small thing.

But it made me think back to a conversation I had with my therapist many weeks ago. Back when I kept Ishu home for a week from school because he was sick. And I felt like the worst, most terrible mother.

When I spoke to Heather, my therapist, my first instinct was to say, “Well, it’s all over now. We’ve moved on and I don’t want to perseverate on how bad I felt. I am in a better mental state now.”

And she said something along the lines of, “Now wait a minute. All of that is helpful information to use to help us prepare for the next time you’re in a situation like that.”

She reminded me that it’s GOOD for us to have these hard moments so we can figure out what is missing for us – emotionally or physically. So we can take steps to ensure we’re better prepared for it the next time around.

Because there’s always going to be a next time around.

I survived the really hard week with Ishu. Just like we survived our park trip sans wipes and water bottle.

BUT, it’s not enough to move straight on and stomp forward without pausing for a moment to reflect.

It’s important to think about what was hard for us in those moments so we can do the necessary work to show up better.

I REALIZE that comparing a missing water bottle situation to my overall emotional state a few weeks ago are two very different scenarios on opposite sides of the spectrum. But the underlying MESSAGE is the same.

The message being that you don’t have to shame yourself for not doing things “right.” You don’t have to shame yourself for not being entirely prepared or for handling a situation a little poorly. You can, instead, pay a little attention to what went wrong and then do a little work to ensure that you show up better the next time.

That is all.

Who knew wipes and water bottles were going to make me feel so reflective?

HAVE A GREAT DAY.