The 2 Moms Life

Recently, I decided it was time to start moving my body again. Some mornings I walk, some mornings I run—it really just depends on what my heart (and my legs) are feeling that day. Most mornings it’s one to two miles around my neighborhood with my adorable four-legged sidekick by my side.

It didn’t take long to realize that the shoes I’d been wearing were definitely not made for this kind of exercise. At the ripe old age of 42, my body wasn’t shy about letting me know either. Shin splints, aching legs… if you’re a runner or walker, you already know those are signs that it’s time to invest in a good pair of shoes.

Simple enough, right?

Not exactly.

Finding the “right” shoes became a battle in my head. Which brand? Which style? How much am I willing to spend? Is it really worth it?

And then came the question every parent asks…

What do the kids need first?

As parents, we become experts at putting ourselves last. We tell ourselves we’ll buy it another time. We’ll wait until after the next bill, the next sports season, the next growth spurt, the next everything.

A friend said something to me recently that stopped me in my tracks.

“We always talk about wanting to give our kids better than what we had growing up. But then we turn around and stop giving ourselves the good things, too.”

Oof.

That one hit home.

This past weekend we were shopping at the outlets for back-to-school shoes. We found some great deals for the kids, and while they were trying theirs on, I wandered over to look at shoes for myself.

I found a pair.

I tried them on.

They felt amazing.

Then I looked at the price tag.

Without even thinking, I slipped them off, put them back on the shelf, and quietly told myself, “Maybe another time.”

As I stood there, a memory I hadn’t thought about in years came rushing back.

I was a kid, shopping at Payless with my mom and sister for back-to-school shoes. (Yes… I’m officially old enough that Payless is a childhood memory.)

My mom found a pair she liked. She tried them on, smiled, and then put them back.

I asked her why.

She looked at me and said, “We’re here for you girls. Maybe another time.”

I still remember what I said next.

“You deserve them. You should get them.”

She smiled… and she bought the shoes.

Standing in that store all these years later, I realized something.

Somewhere along the way, I had become my mom.

Always choosing “maybe another time.”

Always putting myself last.

But this time…

I bought the shoes.

Not because I simply wanted new sneakers, but because I wanted to practice what I hope my children learn from watching me.

I want them to know that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish.

That investing in your health isn’t selfish.

That parents deserve good things, too.

We spend so much of our lives sacrificing for our families, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. But we also have to remember that our kids are always watching. They don’t just hear what we tell them—they learn from what we do.

If they only ever see us putting ourselves last, they’ll grow up believing that’s what love looks like.

I don’t want that for them.

I want them to know that loving your family and loving yourself can exist at the same time.

So yes…

Buy the shoes.

Or the book.

Or the coffee.

Or the hobby you’ve been putting off.

Whatever that little thing is that reminds you that you matter, too.

Because sometimes buying the shoes isn’t really about the shoes at all.

Sometimes it’s an act of self-love.

And trust me—your kids are paying attention.