"With the season of thanks upon us, I have been doing a lot of thinking about the moments that make up our lives, both big and small. We are so grateful for the many gifts in our lives and recognize that this is not the case for all families. As an exercise to practice gratitude daily, for even the smallest moments, my family will often go around the dinner table and talk about our “highs and lows” or “roses and thorns” for the day.
It’s always fascinating to hear what moments stuck out for my daughter and my husband. (She usually talks about the best thing she ate that day, which I fully support as a “high.”)
With this in mind, we turned to our editors to see what their highs and lows for the week were. Some are funny, some are tender, but they are all small peeks into our lives.
High of the week: My husband took a personal day off work to spend with our daughter, and it was just pure joy to see them together. Once upon a time, he was a stay-at-home dad, and it gave me warm and fuzzy flashbacks to hear their laughs floating up through the open window in my home office.
Low of the week: We’ve been remaining pretty socially distant, and it’s taken a toll on us from an emotional angle, especially the littlest. She looks so longingly at kids hanging out together at playgrounds. It truly crushed my mama-heart to see it.
High of the week: Working from home the past few months has allowed me to make time in my weekly schedule to set up regular tele-health therapy sessions—and they’re really helping keep my spirits high, especially moving into the holiday season. Taking this step to prioritize my mental health has allowed me to better cope with some COVID anxiety and really, really missing my parents and sister (who live out of town) during this trying year. Don’t forget to take time for yourself when you need it most, mamas.
Low of the week: While making my morning coffee a few days ago, I shook my creamer bottle (like I always do!) and the top flew off and spewed droplets of sticky liquid everywhere around my kitchen. And I mean everywhere. Cleaning up a mess of that proportion did not set my Tuesday off on the right foot.
High of the week: I spent so much time plannings and prepping for Halloween—like making sure the kids had activities to replace trick-or-treating—I completely forgot to plan my own daughter’s 5th birthday the following week. So, she had to frost her own cake and gave her class a selection of Halloween candy for her bday treat, but then I overheard her tell her older sister, “This is the best birthday ever!” My #momfail turned into a mom win.
Low of the week: We hopped on the pandemic puppy train, and our little dog eats everything: leaves, toys, dirt, socks. He’s a bit of a challenge, but his cuteness usually makes up for it. Except for this week, when he ate an art project my daughter proudly brought home from school. She was mad and heartbroken. RIP pinecone owl.
High of the week: I’m not sure if I’ve reached my peak or rock bottom, but I put Cheetos in my chili when we ran out of oyster crackers, and I don’t regret it. It was delicious, and I’m going with this as my high for the week.
Low of the week: My 15-month-old is getting multiple teeth, including molars, at the same time, and trying to help ease her teething pain has been terribly difficult. Lots of middle-of-the-night wake-up calls and crying during the day at our house.
Now we want to hear from you! What’s been giving you joy or grief? Let us know in the comments or over on Instagram.