Just Say "Yes"
No. 63 - How Last-Minute Lunches and Thursday Night Margaritas Reminded Me There's Still Life Outside the Routine
Last week, a girlfriend was in town for a total of 48 hours, and a few of us were trying to figure out how to get together between work schedules, kids’ activities, and other responsibilities. After some back and forth in the group text, my girlfriend reached out and asked if everyone could just come over to my house for lunch.
My immediate instinct was to say “no.”
It was the middle of the workday. My house was a mess. I didn’t want to bother getting dressed up… on and on the terrible excuses went.
But instead, I said, “Sure! Y’all come over!”
My girlfriend picked up lunch for us, and the five of us spent an hour gathered around the kitchen island—laughing, lunching, and catching up.
It was totally out of my routine, and it was so life-giving.
The next night, I reached out to a friend I hadn’t seen in a while to see if she’d be up for a spur-of-the-moment dinner. We drank spicy margaritas, ordered appetizers and dessert, and were the last ones to leave the restaurant. We shut the place down on a Thursday night, and I laughed harder than I had in a long time.
Both of these moments reminded me that some of life’s greatest joy comes from just saying “yes” when the opportunity arises.
It reminded me of how often I used to do that—and how many adventures I lived because of it.
Once you become a mom, especially when you’re in a season of raising young kids, I know how difficult it becomes to make plans.
There are so many responsibilities taking up our time each week—meal planning, grocery shopping, laundry, dishes, packing kids’ lunches, school drop-off and pick-up, work meetings, doctor appointments. The list feels endless, and the ability to get off the hamster wheel feels impossible at times.
And it’s not even just about finding a sitter. Even when we do step away, it still feels like we’re the ones keeping the train on track. We remember the schedules, the addresses, the special item for show and tell, or that we’re out of milk at the house.
This season is a lot, and it leaves little room for spontaneity. But I also think we’re prone to making excuses more often than not. It’s easier to stay in our yoga pants or say we’re too tired.
The year before the world shut down due to the pandemic, my husband and I were child-free and newly married, and we did so many spontaneous things. We took a last-minute trip to watch the Cubs play at Wrigley Field, flew to Tuscany to taste wine and learn how to make pasta, and spent a week in Spain strolling cobblestone streets, taking siestas, and staying up way too late watching Flamenco and drinking Tinto de Verano. It was one of the most fun years of my life—and a lot of it came from jumping at any opportunity for an adventure.
Last week reminded me how easy it is to drift through life on autopilot—especially with young kids at home. But it also showed me how important it is to break from the routine now and then, and say yes to the unexpected.
Being spontaneous these days might not look like traveling to Europe—or even leaving the city you live in—but that doesn’t mean that once we become moms, we aren’t entitled to adventure every now and then. There’s so much life left to live, and we’re in the drivers seat.
Maybe it’s coffee with a friend who lives across town? Signing up for a calligraphy class? Joining a new book club? Buying those concert tickets? Or maybe, it's finally wallpapering your guest bathroom in that bold, fun print that makes you smile every time you walk by.
The next time something out of the ordinary pops up, before you allow yourself the option to say “no,” just say “yes!” I bet you’ll be surprised at how much it wakes you up to the life happening all around you.
What’s something spontaneous you’ve done recently? Comment and let us know!
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Happy Friday, Friends!
