Hi Reader,

Sometime this week, I started asking myself how I want this season to feel, not just what I need to get done.

It's a strange question to sit with, mostly because I'm so much better at writing out and checking off to-do lists. But "feel like" doesn't check off. It just sits there, quieter, asking me to decide something instead of doing the next thing on the list.

I want this fall to feel connected more than it feels efficient. I want more moments where we're looking at each other than moments where we're just moving past each other on the way to the next thing. I want fewer nights where I fall asleep wondering if I'm building the closeness that will get us through their teen years and beyond.

It's not a task. It's more like a compass — something I can hold up against the next yes or no I'm about to give, and ask whether it points toward the fall — and life — I say I want.

I don't have it mapped out exactly. I just know that as my kiddos get older, the ways we connect change and aren't as simple as a bit of tickling and a lot of snuggles. So, I'm sitting with this question of how I want this fall to feel instead of rushing past it to get to something more productive.

What about you? If you asked yourself what you want this season to feel like, what would you end up with? I'd love to hear what you're dreaming of this fall.

Yours in asking the quieter question,
Jess