Truth is, I didn’t want to go to work today.

I worked very hard all week.  And late nearly every night.

Hell, on Thursday, I missed the very first open-house of my son’s school’s career because of work.

And so, even though my work today would give me the opportunity to be outside, on a mountain, on a beautiful day talking to very kind people, I didn’t want to go.

Because, I didn’t want to wake up early.  I didn’t want to leave my family.  And, I didn’t want to admit that I was thinking:

I’m too old of this.  Shouldn’t I be done with this part?  How am I still, at this stage in the game, setting up tents?  Handing out coloring books? Being the intern?

Despite the “didn’t wants”  and dirty thoughts, I still found my way to that mountain.  Setting up tents.  Handing out coloring books.  And giving kids and families the chance to finish the simple sentence, “Life is Good because…”

So many kids wrote: “Mom” and “Dad” and various takes on “because I’m awesome.”

One little girl came back three times to write: “School”

And another, much older and wiser woman scrawled: “because I can see the light, even when it’s dark.”

And while I still missed my family, and I still was happy to come home, I realized that (thankfully) I will never be over, above, or passed the point of wanting to do the work of starting the conversation of love, gratitude, and connection.