Momentum in the Woods: A Parenting Lesson About Balance and Moving Forward
A walk in the woods with my daughter turned into a lesson about momentum, balance, and why moving forward is almost always easier than standing still.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Most Important Decision You’ll Ever Make
There’s something I tell my kids, and anyone else who will listen:
The single most important decision you’ll make in your life is who you marry.
Not where you go to school.
Not what career you choose.
Not where you live.
Who you marry.
Because no other person will influence the quality, feeling, and direction of your life more than the one you choose to build it with.
And here’s the thing I want my kids to understand:
When you fall in love, and it feels like maybe it’s time to settle down, and this person might be the one—stop and think hard.
Really hard.
Because you’re not just choosing a person to love.
You’re choosing a life partner.
You’re choosing the future mother or father of your children.
You’re choosing the person you’ll wake up next to for decades.
And here’s what I’ve learned:
- The little things you don’t like now will be the big things you hate later.
If you think, oh, it’s not a big deal, trust me—it will be.
- If they’re trying to change you now, they’ll still be trying to change you later.
And that doesn’t get easier.
- Love is great—but love fades and changes.
What matters more is whether this is someone you want to go through the hard stuff with. Someone who will be your teammate for life.
- Ask yourself: would I want this person raising my kids?
Because that’s what marriage really is—a partnership to grow a family together.
If you can’t picture this person teaching your children how to be good, kind, responsible humans—you need to rethink it.
It ain’t just about love. It’s about building a life.
And when it comes to that choice—take your damn time.
Choose carefully.
Because you and your spouse will shape the kind of people you send out into the world.
That’s your legacy. That’s what you leave behind.
And that matters more than just about anything else in this world.
“Know what’s enough. Build what matters.”
Related Posts
Tightly Held Opinions, Loosely Held Wisdom
What if the wisest thing you could say today was “I don’t know”? This reflection explores the power of open-mindedness, the discipline of thinking, and why tightly held opinions often get in the way of true wisdom.
A Key Life Skill: Reflection as a Practice
Taking time to pause, think, and learn has shaped how I parent, coach, and lead. Reflection isn’t about judgment—it’s about curiosity, space, and the willingness to ask what could be better next time.
Made with Bullet