{"id":7079080,"date":"2026-10-07T09:44:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T09:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7079080"},"modified":"2026-10-07T09:44:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T09:44:13","slug":"this-is-how-we-stay-human-two-short-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7079080","title":{"rendered":"This is How We Stay Human: Two Short Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Lately, I\u2019ve been noticing how the most ordinary moments can hold something steady and life-giving when I need it most.<\/p>\n

These are not big, life-changing events\u2014just small moments that remind me who we are to each other\u2026 and how much our presence still matters.<\/p>\n

I wanted to share two of those moments with you today.<\/p>\n

My hope is that, as you read, you might begin to notice your own\u2014and feel a little more steady as you move through this spring season in a world that feels heavy and uncertain.<\/p>\n

Closer Than I Thought\u00a0<\/h2>\n

My young adult daughter is a few months from college graduation and finds herself facing a difficult and unexpected shift in her future plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you come spend the weekend with me?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

I excitedly made the 2.5-hour drive. When I pulled into her apartment complex, I was surprised to find her waiting outside, standing at the top of the drive, waving in the sunshine.<\/p>\n

My eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, I felt so much compassion for my younger self \u2014 the mother who was learning to love herself while raising this strong, independent child.<\/p>\n

So many times, when I knew I\u2019d let us both down, I\u2019d say to myself, I\u2019m not where I want to be.<\/p>\n

But I stayed in it\u2026 learning and trying, apologizing and loving my way through each day, hoping that someday I would get to a place I could be proud of.<\/p>\n

Seeing my daughter waving me into a parking spot, inviting me into her world, felt like arriving somewhere sacred.<\/p>\n

I was right where I wanted to be: fully human, fully present, ready to meet her uncertainty with love.<\/p>\n

And I couldn\u2019t help but feel how this is true for all of us:
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You actually may be much closer to \u201cwhere you want to be\u201d than you think.<\/p>\n

The willingness to show up for yourself and for those you love is taking you farther than you realize.<\/p>\n

Keep going.<\/p>\n

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Part of Something More<\/h2>\n

I went to a high school baseball game the other night with my husband.\u00a0Our 17-year-old neighbor recently made a highly competitive varsity team, and we wanted to show our support.<\/p>\n

His parents saved us spots for our pop-up chairs. They hugged us and thanked us profusely for coming. As parents, we understood. When people who aren\u2019t obligated come to support your kid\u2026 well, it feels like a gift you can\u2019t quite repay.<\/p>\n

For six innings we cheered for his team, waving to him in the dugout, hoping he might get a chance to play.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until the bottom of the sixth that his coach sent him in as a pinch runner. As he took his position at second base, his mom leaned in and said, \u201cI know he doesn\u2019t look fast, but he can run.\u201d<\/p>\n

I knew his hitting game had gotten off to a rocky start this season. I found myself holding my breath, wanting this small chance to go well.<\/p>\n

The batter sent a line drive into right field. Our neighbor rounded third and headed for home. It was going to be close.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He dove headfirst across the plate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He was safe!<\/p>\n

The team ran out of the dugout and surrounded him. His parents were on their feet, hands in the air.<\/p>\n

And me, the woman who was just there to support her neighbor?\u00a0<\/p>\n

I got teary, the same way I did when my daughters played high school sports\u2026 lump in my throat, pride swelling.<\/p>\n

Afterward, I had that familiar emotional high that comes from rooting for something.<\/p>\n

It struck me on the drive home that nothing about the evening was extraordinary. It was just a regular-season high school game. A pinch runner. A close play at the plate.<\/p>\n

And yet it felt bigger than it was.<\/p>\n

Because showing up for someone else\u2019s child is one of the purest ways we practice being human in a time that can feel isolating and fractured.<\/p>\n

It comes from sharing snacks in the stands.
From holding your breath until they make it home.
From caring about an outcome that isn\u2019t ours.<\/p>\n

I went to bed Friday night knowing I need more of that in my life\u2014
more reasons to cheer for someone else\u2019s joy,
more moments that pull me out of myself and back into us.<\/p>\n

My hand in yours,
Rachel\u00a0<\/p>\n

P.S. Have you noticed any small moments that brought you back to what is steady and good?
I\u2019d love to hear about them.<\/p>\n

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\ud83c\udf37 If your current season is bringing change or uncertainty, and you\u2019d like support as you navigate it, I\u2019d love to invite you into my upcoming Zoom gathering in Rachel\u2019s Treehouse<\/a> on Tuesday, March 31st at 8pm Eastern.<\/p>\n

This month, I\u2019ll be guiding us through something many of us are living right now: how to support the people we love without taking over, fixing, or losing ourselves in the process. This teaching is inspired by my personal experience as a parent of a high school senior who was not on the same timeline as everyone else\u2014and what it required of me to stay present, trust, and let go of outcome.<\/p>\n

These monthly supportive gatherings are part of my Treehouse community ($5\/month), where we practice this work together in real time, with replays available the next day. There is also a free tier which includes my essays on midlife\u2014the shifts, the letting go, and what it means to dream again. If you\u2019ve been asking, \u201cWhat now?\u201d this is a space to land, reconnect, and rediscover. Join the community here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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One final exciting note\u2026 if you have been waiting for a time to bring\u00a0Soul Shift<\/em>\u00a0into your life\u2014or to share it with someone you love\u2014it is being released in soft cover on April 14th and is now available for pre-order wherever you like to buy your books, including Bookshop<\/a> and Amazon<\/a>. If you happen to be a Barnes & Noble Rewards member, use the code PREORDER25 at checkout for 25% off Soul Shift<\/a> through March 26th<\/sup>.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

One of my favorite reviewers<\/a> had this to say: <\/p>\n

\u201cThe other day, a teacher friend said he thought we needed a new modern day Mr. Rogers to emerge in our culture. Author Rachel Macy Stafford brings this type of patience and encouragement and hope to her readers. She encourages grown-ups and young ones alike to be real with our feelings and thoughts. She honors our reality while shepherding us along towards a brighter future. Somehow, she does this while not diminishing our pain and struggle. Her work is a gift to our culture. She helps mend the frays in the fabric of our communities and our relationships.\u201d -Jen ht<\/p>\n

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