Monday, March 18, 2024

Something to Muench on: It doesn’t take much more than just showing up!

Kimberly Muench

“How can I help?” asks Madlin, a friend of mine, a very busy mom of two, God love her she’s always 10 minutes late to everything because she, like so many other moms I know, is over scheduled.

“Madlin, I’ll be fine, but I truly appreciate your offer.” I reassure her because, just as busy, I know my kids aren’t babies and my husband is fully capable and willing to pitch in…AND my mom is nearby and has always been a major player in making things go smoothly…I am blessed to say my going in for surgery would be no different thank goodness.

“No really, I want to do something!  How about I organize a Meal Train?”

I’m not gonna lie, that caught my ear.  To be brutally honest the thought of what to make my family for dinner while I was out of commission never entered my mind.

It should have, but it didn’t.

We’ve been in Flower Mound for over a decade, my husband and I are both building businesses here, but my second thought (after, “What a great idea!”) was, “I don’t know if anyone would sign up to bring us a meal.”

It’s sad, but true.

I mean, we have friends…Tom and I both know a lot of people between our kids being involved in school, extra-curriculars, networking groups…you know, people you see all the time and have meaningful chit-chat with but who, if you really had an emergency, you don’t know if you could actually reach out to.

Madlin insisted.

And, hindsight being 20/20, I’m really glad she did.  Because it was honestly the biggest help ever not to have to think about what we were going to have for dinner in the two weeks after my surgery.  Not to mention the mental help of not thinking about the grocery shopping and preparing…it’s amazing how draining it can be to just feed your family!

Being on the receiving end of meals really makes you think about what’s important in life.  I know there have been opportunities for me over the years to drop off a meal for someone else and once and a while I did it but [more often than not] I’ve poo-pooed the idea saying I don’t cook well (very true) or someone else will do it or I just don’t have the time to help.

This experience has really made me contemplate how important it is that we show up for one another.  It doesn’t have to be a three-course homemade gourmet meal; I could barely contain my excitement when a client of mine dropped off stuffed peppers and a Caesar salad from Costco!

It’s totally the thought that counts!

I am looking forward to 2020 as the year I show up for myself and for others!  It’s time to minimize the meaningless (scrolling) and emails that sidetrack me from doing what’s really important to me which is taking good care of myself so I can show up for those I love most…AND those who need meals!

What will be meaningful to you in the coming year and how can you get started on it today?

Kimberly Muench
Kimberly Muenchhttps://reallifeparentguide.com/
Kim Muench is a Flower Mound mother of five kiddos. She is a certified parent coach who loves working with moms and dads of adolescents to build stronger, healthier connections in their home. To learn more, visit her website at www.reallifeparentguide.com.

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