Sponsored by
Summer's here.
The days are so long, I can be working at 9 p.m. and not even realize it.
My son is home from college, and I love having him here. But between recovering from knee replacement surgery and trying to get back into a routine, I haven't appreciated it as much as I thought I would. He just finished his first year of college, and it seems like his primary goal this summer is to sleep. Maybe that's just a boy thing.
My son, Aidan, had the hardest time falling asleep when he was little. It was like he was afraid of missing out. When he was about 3, we tried turning off all the lights in the house and putting the whole family to bed at 8:30 p.m. I thought I heard something in the living room and went to check. There was Aidan, sitting on the couch with the TV on, perfectly content. His twin brother was fast asleep. It didn't really change until he was about 5.
My youngest, though? There isn't a bed he doesn't like.
Speaking of things I love, I made a coffee shop-sized batch of Vietnamese coffee that's now sitting in my refrigerator. It is so damn good. I limit myself to one glass over ice a day, and none after 5 p.m. I learned that lesson the hard way. The first day I made it, I drank it through dinner and ended up lying awake until 4 a.m.
That never used to happen.
Like so many things, caffeine has become one more reminder that getting older comes with a few new rules. I don't necessarily like those rules, but I do love Vietnamese coffee.
It's been a little while since I've written, and I know that. I actually recorded and posted a podcast first to catch everyone up. Usually I write the column and then record the podcast, but this time I guess I just felt like talking before writing.
The truth is, the past several weeks have mostly revolved around rehabbing my knee. That isn't exactly surprising. But over the last three weeks, I've also been immersed in developing social media campaigns and digital strategies for a new client. It's been exhilarating. Yet another reinvention.
And I realized something.
I really do love this work. I'm good at it. At this stage of life, that's a wonderful thing to discover.
With my doctor's blessing, I also started Pilates. There are still a few accommodations I have to make because of my knee, but it's going well. I can already feel the difference. Like physical therapy, it's one of those things that only works if you keep showing up.
Then I had a realization that feels so obvious now.
Physical therapy and Pilates are helping me rebuild my strength, my mobility and my stability. But if I want to climb an 8-inch step like a normal person again, I have to climb 8-inch steps.
If I want to do Child's Pose in yoga, I have to practice Child's Pose.
If I want to get up off the floor without looking awkward and clumsy, I have to keep getting up off the floor.
I think part of me was waiting for recovery to happen first—as if one morning I'd wake up and suddenly be able to do all the things I used to do before my knee stopped working.
But that's not how it works.
Physical therapy gives me the tools. Pilates builds strength. They both teach me how to move safely. But there isn't a magic machine that's going to make me wake up one morning and effortlessly climb stairs, kneel on the floor or move without thinking about it.
The only way to become someone who can do those things again is to keep doing those things.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that's probably true of almost everything in life.
If you want to write, you have to write.
If you want to build a business, you have to start building it.
If you want stronger relationships, you have to keep showing up for them.
If you want a new chapter, you have to begin living it before you feel completely ready.
Sometimes that means starting with two-inch steps instead of eight.
And maybe that's enough.
Because those two-inch steps eventually become four-inch steps. Then six. Then eight.
Progress isn't waiting until you're ready. Progress is what happens because you keep trying.
Until next time, remember—we're not done yet.
Your K-Cup Has Been Sitting in a Warehouse for Months
That grocery store pod? It was roasted long before it hit the shelf. Coffee starts losing flavor within weeks of roasting — which is why your morning cup tastes flat, no matter how nice your machine is.
Angelino's does it differently. A third-generation roaster in Los Angeles, they roast, grind, and seal every pod in-house for peak freshness, then ship it to your door within days of roasting. The difference is the first thing you'll notice: real aroma, real flavor, no bitterness.
Mix and match from 50+ specialty coffees, teas, and flavored blends — all Keurig®-compatible — and save more with every box you add, up to 34% off at 12+. Order once whenever you're running low, or subscribe for an extra 5% if that's easier. Entirely up to you.
New customers get 15% off their first order — applied automatically, no code needed.