We’re Experiencing a Slight Delay (And That’s Okay)

Reflections on the word "maintenance"

The weather was beautiful Friday night in New York City, a perfect night to fly. As the sun set, the excitement of waiting in an airport terminal began to lose its thrill. Our 6:30 p.m. flight was delayed to 7:30, then 8:30, and finally, at 9:30, we boarded. There wasn’t much reason for the delay, just that our plane was still making its way from Boston. Everything seemed backed up. I was tired and just wanted to get on that plane, to know we’d make it to Kentucky in time for my grandma’s memorial service.

Somewhere between the third delay, the overpriced snacks, and watching the girls sleepily read their books, I turned to Emily and said, “I’m so tired.”

It’s been a season of delays, hiccups, and energy running on empty. But it’s also been a season of maintenance, the word I chose back in September to guide me through the fall. I said at the time that the word might sound boring, but maybe it was genius.

My flying sweatshirt. Mabel snapped this photo of me while we waited for our plane to make its way from Boston to New York. On a flight earlier this fall, a woman stopped me and said, “Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll listen.”

Now, sitting here on the other side of October, still exhausted from the back-to-school grind and all that life’s thrown at us lately, I think I was right.

Maintenance hasn’t meant doing nothing. It’s meant learning what to let go of, what to leave undone, and how to stretch my capacity for the unknown. It’s been about sustaining the systems that work and making small tweaks where I can.

We’ve all had those seasons when our capacity feels completely mismatched with the demands being thrown our way. But we can’t just throw in the towel, we still have to keep our metaphorical planes up in the air. We can’t stop altogether, but we can pause long enough to ask: What might make life a little easier right now? What’s bringing me energy, and how can I invite more of that in? What is this season trying to teach me?

Before we step into November, and all the joy (and chaos) that comes with it, I want to pause and look back at what I’ve maintained this fall: the quiet routines and small decisions that have helped me stay grounded.

Here are ten things that have kept me steady this season.