Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy

The title of this post comes from a book I’m currently reading, Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy. It has challenged me to pause, notice, and reflect this summer. As I was reading, I realized these are lessons Jack has been teaching me all along.

Summer has a way of reminding us to slow down.

To notice.

To pause.

To reflect.

If I’m honest, slowing down doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m wired to keep striving, keep building, keep executing, and keep finding more efficient ways to move the mission forward. There is certainly value in hard work. Goals matter. Progress matters. Stewardship matters.

But I’ve been asking myself a different question this summer:

What do we miss when we’re constantly focused on the next goal?

Jack has been teaching our family the answer to that question for the past 13 years.

He has taught us to appreciate the process instead of obsessing over the outcome. To celebrate the little victories that others might overlook. To find joy in moments that can’t be measured by productivity, checklists, or accomplishments.

In many ways, we need Jack.

He reminds us what is truly important.

As I look ahead to this year’s Gala, when we’ll celebrate 10 years of Jack’s Basket as a nonprofit, I realize something I’ve rarely allowed myself to do.

I haven’t often slowed down long enough to look back.

To see how far we’ve come.

To appreciate how hard so many people have worked.

To celebrate the thousands of babies who have been welcomed, the families who have found hope, the healthcare providers who have chosen a different way, and the community that has carried this mission further than I ever imagined possible.

Ten years ago, I couldn’t have dreamed of where we would be today.

14,000 babies celebrated.

Families in all 50 states and 63 countries.

A community that continues to show up with generosity, compassion, and hope.

Those numbers matter. But they aren’t what move me most.

It’s the moments.

A parent’s tears turning into a smile.

A volunteer packing a basket with love.

A child like Jack reminding us that life isn’t measured by how quickly we arrive somewhere, but by how fully we experience the journey.

Maybe that’s the invitation this summer.

To slow down to the speed of joy.

To notice what we’ve been too busy to see.

To celebrate the people beside us instead of racing toward what’s next.

And to remember that some of life’s greatest gifts aren’t found at the finish line…they’re found in the process.

Thank you, Jack, for reminding us to slow down.

We all need someone like you.