As a working mom of two young boys, not a day goes by that I don’t thank my lucky stars to have been blessed with a true partner by my side as we ride through this crazy thing called life.

image: olive avenue photography

The unspoken rhythm we have established in our life is like a beautiful dance.

Monday through Friday play out like a favorite familiar song. I get the boys up in the morning and off to school. We then jump in headfirst to a full day of satisfying work. He picks the boys up and we link back up at home. We make dinner together as a family. We eat dinner together as a family. We read books as a family and then all say goodnight as he takes our youngest to his room and I stay with our oldest to go through a handful of nightly rituals before heading upstairs.

We then link up again. In a quiet house. Exhausted but together. And at that point I am thankful.

Because occasionally the dance stops. A business dinner, a trip or sickness can throw you off-balance. You are suddenly left dancing by yourself. And it is HARD. In those moments of absence, you truly appreciate what you have.

But don’t get me wrong. Absence is important too. It is also so important to choose a partner that encourages you to say YES to that new business pitch, YES to that girls’ trip and YES to that yoga class. A partner who can handle life on their own. Who knows that a planned disruption of a routine also leads to a rich and gratifying life. And acknowledges that when you experience those things, you become a more interesting person with new stories and perspectives to share and a twinkle in your eye.

So, my love, even though I wince at the fact that you signed up for a 10-week gym challenge that has you working out at 6 a.m. six days a week, I’ve got you. ‘Cause I’m your partner. And that is what partners do.