Shoes On In Record Time

There’s a super family at our co-op preschool. They have four kids (three boys and one little girl). Both parents have amazing jobs they care about. They’ve volunteered on the co-op board for nearly a decade and are now the presidents. They coach all their kids’ soccer teams, and bake sourdough to leave on friends’ porches at random.

They have less time than anyone I know, yet they give so much.

When I complain about our logistics, they must be laughing on the inside. So when they asked if I could take their youngest to soccer practice (which added exactly 0% more work), I was glad to help.

At pickup, the girls were so stoked. They shrieked with giddy joy, somehow hugging and jumping at the same time. That’s not usually Leigh’s vibe, but doing something different with a friend outside the norm made it feel special.

The next couple of hours were great—shoes on in record time, sharing, telling great jokes. The cuteness did not let up.

After practice we grabbed a quick dinner. Leigh’s friend ate like a champ: finished her plate and politely asked for more.

I could feel myself trying to fully capture the moment. My heart did little flutters as I realized how rare this is, and how often it could happen if we just asked and let things flow a little more.

This special evening of the ordinary happened because someone asked for help—someone who’d do the same for us a hundred times over.

Note to self: when we ask for help, when we actually need it, we’re offering someone else a chance to show up, feel useful, and be connected.

Ask more. Give more. Be in community more. It feels good because it is good.

💛 Steve