Happy Sacred Sunday!
This weekend was my first son’s seventeenth birthday. There’s something about that number that hits different.
A couple of years ago when Orlando and I celebrated our seventeenth wedding anniversary, it inspired me to create a series of 17 lessons we’ve learned over the course of our marriage. Our tenth anniversary was probably the most impactful, but seventeen was the one that invited the most reflection.
Orly’s seventeenth birthday was no different. I’ve spent the last few days in deep reflection, getting choked up at unexpected moments. My husband has felt the same, and we were both surprised by the emotions this milestone stirred up in us.
“You’d think last year would’ve hit harder,” Orlando said. “That was the year we got Orly his first car! But this one just crept up on me.”
My theory is that there are milestones you prepare for. We planned for Orly’s car for months. It was a year of execution, logistics, saving, scheduling, and teaching, so we were ready. Next year, we’ll be preparing for college, another milestone that demands focus and action.
But seventeen was different.
Just like our anniversary, this was a year that required nothing of us. Instead, it landed softly in our laps, giving us the rare gift of stillness and the chance to notice.
Notice how much he’s grown.
How much we’ve grown.
How far we’ve all come.
This year gave us permission to savor rather than strive.
And that’s exactly the theme of this week’s podcast episode.
I share the story of a coaching client who was craving more playfulness yet, like so many high achievers, was getting caught in striving rather than savoring.
It’s not about being perfectly playful every day.
It’s about collecting sparks—those core moments when you choose presence and connection. These are the memories that shape the story of your life.
Orly’s seventeenth birthday reminded me of that truth.
Every day of his seventeen years hasn’t been perfectly harmonious, meaningful, or playful. But when we look back, we remember moments—the ones we marked, documented, and cherished. The long days have condensed into short clips that play through my mind: riding bike together around the neighborhood, the years we walked to school together, eating white rice in bed at 3am when we were in South Korea, and so many more. (Scroll down to see a picture my mom captured without us knowing and you won’t see anywhere on socials.)
As you enter this week, I invite you to pause.
Give yourself the gift of gentle reflection.
Remember the moments that have brought you sparks of bliss.
And if you want to explore this balance between ambition and progress, tune into this week’s podcast episode.
Wishing you a week filled with sparks of clarity and joy.
Sending you so much love today and always.