As a person with very big dreams and ambitions — a person who wants to make a full-time living from her writing — I often forget to slow down and enjoy being in the moment with the people in my life. I’m almost always steeped in anxiety about what I should be doing next to make money to help contribute to taking care of our household. I get so wrapped up in checking off tasks that I forget to just BE and enjoy the little things. 

But that’s why I love moments like these, and what makes them so poignant for me. I love when River — my kiddo — just quietly reaches over and grabs my fingers. He doesn’t always want to hold Mom’s hand, so it’s really special for me when he does.

I love how one quiet, gentle touch can pull me out of all that stress and panic and completely ground me in the present moment. Every time River does this, it fills me with gratitude and joy. I’m so blessed and grateful to be River’s mom. I just hope he knows that he and his daddy are the best things in my entire universe, and I love them with everything I have, even when I’m full of anxiety and caught in the endless spiral of workaholism. I love them so much, and they make me so happy. I just had to record this precious moment so it doesn’t get lost in the hustle and bustle of me chasing my dream of contributing to supporting our family by writing full time, in addition to the work we do driving delivery for Waitr.