As I watched my daughter take off on her first bike ride of the season, I found myself offering some advice that I realized I needed to hear as well. “It’s okay to take some time to learn how to rebalance at the beginning of the season,” I said, watching her wobbly ride. Just one year ago, she was on training wheels, unsure of how to balance and still building her confidence on two wheels. It was one year ago that she had set the goal of learning to ride without training wheels, an accomplishment she reached shortly after! By the time the season had ended, she was racing down our gravel road with confidence, fearless and fast. It was no wonder that, after the long winter, she found herself frustrated and confused to be falling so often again during her first ride of the year.
That’s when the phrase “just like riding a bike” came to mind. We’ve all heard it — a reminder that certain things, once learned, are never forgotten. It’s a comforting saying, one that implies that no matter how long it’s been, you can always pick up where you left off. But in that moment, I realized that for me, the phrase has always carried more weight than it should.
I’ve never forgotten how to ride my bike, but I’ve certainly had moments where it took me a minute to feel fully balanced, even in my 30th-ish season of bike riding. When I first get back on, I feel wobbly, unsure of the rhythm that used to come so naturally. I think it’s easy for all of us to expect that, once we’ve mastered something, we should be able to pick it up again right away. We forget that there’s a process to finding our balance again. And maybe, just maybe, I’ve been putting too much pressure on myself, expecting to immediately return to a state of perfect balance without giving myself the grace to “get the wobbles out.”
The Grace to Stumble: Relationships and Parenting in Changing Seasons
As parents, we often find ourselves in the position of giving advice to our children, offering words of wisdom in the hopes of guiding them through challenges. But what I’ve come to realize is that, more often than not, the advice we give them is something we actually need to hear ourselves. We may speak the words of encouragement, but do we take them to heart? Do we grant ourselves the same grace we so readily give others? Especially our children?
Take, for example, the changing seasons. As my daughter gears up for another year of bike riding, it’s not just her that is entering a new season — our entire family is. As the weather changes, the routines and schedules that worked for us during the slower months of the year often need to be adjusted. Just as my daughter needs time to regain her balance on her bike, our family needs time to adjust to new rhythms and routines that come with the season ahead.
For many of us, the upcoming spring and summer seasons mark a time when we’re transitioning to a busier, more demanding schedule. The school year may be getting ready to wind down, but with that comes field trips, classroom showcases, spring concerts, new sports and the longing to spend every second possible outside after a cold winter. It’s not always just about getting back into the swing of things after a break, but learning to juggle the various roles and responsibilities that accompany a new season of life.
For our family, that means adjusting to my husband’s “busy season” at work. Historically, his job has a predictable peak season (summer/fall), where work ramps up and his hours become longer and more demanding. This season has always been a time of adjustment, requiring a shift in how we balance our work, family time, home responsibilities and personal care.
But this year feels different. Thanks to advancements in technology and equipment, my husband’s work, which used to be seasonal, can now stretch into year-round. While this provides stability and financial security, it also means we need to recalibrate how we function as a family long term, not just for the peak. After a slow year with very little work, we’re now facing a workload that would require him to work nearly every day, except Sundays, until next spring, at which point the new season’s work will start.
Finding Our Rhythm : Adapting to a New Work-Life Balance
It’s tempting to panic when we think about the overwhelming workload ahead, but I try not to let myself get too stressed. We’ve been through busy seasons before, and I know that once we get into our groove, we’ll manage just fine. In fact, we’ve found ways to make the best of these busy times. In the past, we’ve had picnics on the back of my husband’s truck during his lunch break, or met at new parks to play and eat together. We make it a point to connect with friends and other families who are also navigating their own busy seasons, offering support and encouragement to each other.
The key to balancing this new season of work-life balance is flexibility. The family rhythms we’ve had during slower times simply won’t work in the same way. Our days will look different — and that’s okay. We’re in a season of recalibration, of figuring out how to make the most of our time together, despite the extra demands on my husband’s time and the more home/family responsibilities I will be taking on as result. It’s a challenge, but also an opportunity to grow, adapt, and make new memories as we navigate this season together.
Adjusting to New Routines and Family Dynamics
When life shifts, our routines often need to shift with it. The rhythms we’ve established during slower times may no longer fit, and it’s important to recognize that. Whether it’s changing your work hours, managing your children’s schedules, or taking on new responsibilities at home, it’s natural to feel a bit unbalanced at first. But just like with my daughter’s bike ride, it’s important to give ourselves permission to wobble, to stumble, and to take our time getting back into the rhythm of things.
This season, I’m leaning into the grace of imperfection. I know that the first few weeks (or even months) of this busy season will be filled with moments of frustration and inadequacies as we adjust. We might not get everything right, and that’s okay. We don’t have to have it all together immediately. In fact, it’s better if we don’t. The process of recalibrating is just as important as the end result.
There’s something freeing about acknowledging that we’re all just trying to find our balance, one step at a time. As parents, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking we need to have all the answers, to be the perfect role models for our children. But the truth is, we don’t have to be perfect. We just need to be present and willing to adjust as we go along, creating a great lesson for your children to observe through your actions, if you let them.
Rebalancing with Grace: The Key to Navigating Life’s Challenges
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through this process is the importance of grace — both for ourselves and for others. It’s easy to be hard on ourselves when things aren’t going as smoothly as we’d like, but I’ve found that extending grace is the key to finding balance in the chaos of life.
Grace means allowing ourselves the space to stumble without judgment. It means giving ourselves permission to learn and grow at our own pace, without the expectation of instant perfection. Grace also means being patient with our loved ones, recognizing that they, too, are adjusting to new challenges and rhythms.
As we enter this new season, I’m focusing on embracing the wobbles — both literal and figurative. I know that just like my daughter will eventually regain her confidence on her bike, we will also find our rhythm in this busy season of life. It may take time, and there may be a few falls along the way, but that’s okay. Unlike previous busy seasons that felt like sprints, this one will be a marathon, one we have trained for. With time, patience, and grace, we’ll get back on track.
One More Reminder: Embrace the Wobble as You Find Balance
The start of a new season, whether it’s the beginning of a new bike riding season or a shift in family schedules, is always a time of adjustment. As we work to find our balance, it’s important to remember that it’s okay to stumble and fall. We don’t have to have it all figured out immediately. Just like riding a bike, it’s okay to wobble and take some time to find our groove again.
This season, I’m embracing the process. I’m giving myself permission to stumble, to make mistakes, and to take it one day at a time. And in doing so, I’m learning that rebalancing doesn’t mean getting everything right away — it means finding the grace to keep going, even when things feel a little off. With grace, patience, and the willingness to adapt, we’ll find our balance again, one wobble at a time.
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