Like many of you, I’ve been deeply affected by the recent tragedy in the Texas Hill Country. Some in our community are grieving unimaginable losses — loved ones taken far too soon, in a way no one could have prepared for. My heart and prayers are with all those impacted.
While my own recent experience — the passing of my father at age 85 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s — is very different, it still brought me face-to-face with the weight of loss and the importance of taking time to be fully present with what matters most.
That’s why I took a pause — from deadlines, from columns, from content creation — and simply gave myself space to feel. Not to produce or problem-solve, but to reflect, grieve, remember, and reconnect.
And that pause reminded me of something I already knew — but had buried beneath the busy:
Life doesn’t always wait for us to make space. Sometimes, it forces us to.
When we’re juggling so many things — work, family, caregiving, leadership, ambition — it can feel indulgent or even irresponsible to step away. But I’m learning that these pauses aren’t a retreat from life. They are life.
They make room for:
- Quiet moments with the people we love.
- Perspective that doesn’t show up on a to-do list.
- Presence — the kind that can’t be scheduled between meetings.
In times of loss, whether sudden or expected, we’re reminded just how fragile and sacred our time is. And how quickly we can forget that in the rush of normalcy.
So this month’s nudge is simple, but not easy:
Take a pause.
Not because you’ve earned it. Not because you’ve checked every box.
But because your life, and the lives of those you care about, are worth it.
Let this be your permission slip — to grieve, to rest, to remember, to breathe.
Until next time,
Carol Enneking
Author of The Rebalancing Act