Texting with my kid prompted a fasting breakthrough.
Lessons on mailing keys, starting messy, and choosing consistency over perfection
If I had a dollar for every hilarious text thread I’ve had with my kids …
Case in point: This gem, which unfolded when my youngest daughter—a college junior—realized she’d headed back to school with her sister’s house key in her purse.
The girls’ campuses? 150 miles apart.
In my head, the fix was easy: a padded envelope and a couple of stamps.
In reality? Things went a little differently.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Daughter: should i just get one of these (accompanied by pics above)
Me: Yes. Get the smallest one you can find. But those all look about the same size.
Daughter: ok it’s only 1.99
the decorative ones r the same price so imma get a cute one
Me: Of course! Good thinking!
Daughter: do i write my address
Me: Yes. Make it small.
Make [your sister’s] address bigger.
Daughter: [sister’s name] and then do i do her address under?
and then zip code under
what’s the correct format
Me: *googles and sends random image of envelope with correct address format*
Daughter: ok
thanks
Me: You did great! And now you know how to mail a package!
Daughter: yea except the pen doesn’t work
so i’m stumped on what to do next
Me: Go up to the counter and ask for a pen that works
Me: Perfect!
Daughter: do i gotta buy a stamp?
Me: No. Give it to the lady at the counter. She’ll weigh it for you and tell you how much it will cost.
Daughter: ok
thanks g
Me: ❤️
Daughter: told the lady at the counter it was my first time
Me: I’m sure she’s happy to help.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
A few random takeaways …
1. College kids text like they talk.
Does this drive me, a lifelong writer, a little bit crazy? Why, yes. Yes, it does.
But have I also read some of this kid’s actual college work that completely blows me away? So many times.
2. Sending a letter (or even a key) in the mail is a lost art.
Before we judge too harshly (I mean, one might argue that this is my parenting fail), let’s acknowledge that snail mail can be tricky. Most Gen Z kids don’t really need to know how it works.
3. Don’t let a blank label stop you.
In that moment, my daughter had no idea how to address a package.
Seems like a pretty basic task to the old folks in the room (cough, cough). But to our kids? That blank label probably felt a little overwhelming.
She figured it out, though.
And honestly? I could take a page from her book.
Because when it comes to fasting (and maybe a few other things in my life), I’ve been known to freeze in moments of uncertainty.
Instead of forging ahead, I shy away from doing the hard thing.
I choose the quick dopamine hit (hello, food) over the steady satisfaction that inevitably comes with delayed gratification.
But here’s the reframe I’m holding onto:
Start anyway.
Start fresh.
Or start again.
It doesn’t matter … just start.
Find one small thing that moves you closer to where you want to be—because consistency is what drives life-changing success.
(Hat tip to Steve Magness, whose podcast interview with Mel Robbins helped rewire that truth for me.)
We don’t have to be perfect.
We don’t have to follow someone else’s exact fasting protocol.
What matters most?
Taking the first step, even if it’s messy.
If my daughter can navigate her first solo trip to the post office, maybe you and I can trust ourselves to navigate this fasting journey—no perfection required.
P.S. Feel like you deserve a trophy after your next fast?
You do.
I’ll mail you one—and I’ll even have my daughter fill out the label.
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