The Choices We Make
This week we headed to Mexico for our son Ben’s senior trip.
And I have to laugh a little… because my senior trip?
Non-existent.
Not an option.
My parents’ version of a senior trip was basically: “Congrats on graduating… see you at dinner.”
I have heard stories from other 90’s kids, though. The big move back then was calling your parents from a pay phone in Mexico with a collect call just to say, “I made it!” before hanging up as fast as possible so they didn’t get charged.
So honestly, the fact that we even got invited on this trip feels like a win.
But as we get ready to go, I keep thinking about something deeper. Life is a series of choices.
For the past 18 years, Scott and I have made a very intentional one. We chose to be present.
Not perfect.
Not always balanced.
Not always getting it right.
But present.
We’ve both built careers we care deeply about. We’ve worked hard, chased big goals, and pushed ourselves professionally.
And we’ve also been in the bleachers, on the sidelines, in the carpool line, and around the dinner table.
Because here’s a little news flash, we don’t say enough out loud:
You can kick ass at your job and still be a great parent.
Scott has always been incredibly successful in his career, and at the same time, he has been the most present and devoted dad. Truly the best.
Those two things are not mutually exclusive.
What matters is the choices we make along the way.
The choice to show up.
The choice to prioritize relationships.
The choice to put the phone down and be in the moment.
The choice to remember what really matters.
My grandmother left me a note years ago that said: “Love will guide you.”
And it has.
Love guided the career risks.
Love guided the long days and late nights working.
Love guided the decision to still be at the baseball games and the big moments.
Love guided the choice to be here — on a senior trip I never had — with the people who matter most.
A few EQ reminders this week:
1. Be intentional about your choices.
Life will happily fill your calendar if you let it. Decide what matters most and protect it.
2. Presence is a decision.
You don’t have to be perfect — you just have to show up.
3. Don’t buy into the false trade-off.
Ambition and love can live in the same life. Success isn’t choosing one over the other — it’s aligning both with your values.
At the end of the day, our lives are shaped by the choices we make again and again.
And when those choices are guided by love, something powerful happens:
We become EXACTLY who we came to be.
