Playbook 9: Be Where Your Feet Are
September 28, 2026 · 8 min read
The Gift of Being Present
If you've made it to Week 9, you've probably noticed something.
The calendar is filling up.
Football games.
Senior events.
College visits.
Applications.
Practices.
Work schedules.
Family obligations.
Life doesn't slow down during senior year.
In fact, it seems to speed up.
Some days you'll find yourself thinking about next week's deadlines while you're sitting at tonight's football game.
You'll worry about college decisions while you're driving to senior pictures.
You'll be thinking about graduation while they're still walking through the halls of high school.
But here's the gentle reminder I needed—and maybe you do too:
Don't miss today because you're busy worrying about tomorrow.
Senior year isn't meant to be rushed.
It's meant to be lived.
Your senior doesn't need a perfect year.
They need a present mom.
Sometimes the greatest gift we can give our children isn't another piece of advice.
It's our full attention.
Put your phone away during dinner.
Watch the game without answering emails.
Stay in the driveway for five extra minutes after school and let the conversation continue.
Listen more than you speak.
Laugh when plans change.
Take the picture—but don't forget to put the camera down and actually enjoy the moment too.
One day, these ordinary evenings will become the memories you miss the most.
This Week's Challenge
Choose one hour this week to be completely present.
No scrolling.
No work.
No multitasking.
Just you and your senior.
Go for coffee.
Take a walk.
Shoot hoops.
Bake cookies.
Drive with no destination.
The activity doesn't matter.
Your presence does.
Your senior won't remember every detail of this year. But they'll remember how it felt to be with you. Years from now, they probably won't say, 'Mom always answered every email.' They'll remember, 'Mom was there.'
Lord, Thank You for the gift of this season. Help me slow down enough to truly experience it. Quiet the worries about tomorrow so I don't miss the blessings of today. Teach me to be fully present with my family, to listen with patience, to laugh freely, and to treasure these moments before they become memories. May my child always know that they had my attention, my encouragement, and my love. Amen.
This Week's Checklist
- ☐Spend one uninterrupted hour with your senior.
- ☐Put your phone away during one meal each day.
- ☐Take one candid photo instead of a posed one.
- ☐Ask your senior, 'What was the best part of your week?'
- ☐Write down one memory you never want to forget.
- ☐End one day by thanking God for a specific moment you shared together.
Memory Mission
Create a "Week in the Life" photo collection.
Take ordinary pictures this week:
- Breakfast before school
- Their backpack by the door
- Practice or rehearsal
- Homework at the kitchen table
- Their favorite snack
- The family dog waiting for them
- The sunset on the drive home
- Their shoes by the front door
These aren't glamorous moments.
They're the beautiful, ordinary pieces of life that you'll treasure someday.
The little moments often become the big memories.