The name, ToGETherJOY, is designed with purpose, a clever play on words to encapsulate multiple meanings– I got you, you got me, together we are better. A sisterhood, sharing the messy and beautiful in this journey, illuminating the path forward by sprinkling excessive optimism to build a joyous and bright landing spot. It is the ultimate, I GOTCHA girl!
got·cha /ˈɡäCHə/ slang. /ˈɡɒtʃ.ə/ us. /ˈɡɑːtʃ.ə/
said to mean “I have got you.”
My Flow
Have you ever experienced a state of flow, also known as being in the zone? It is the mental state of performing an activity, fully immersed with energized focus; it is incredibly satisfying and happens to be my current vibe. Yup, I am getting shit done! My brain is working overtime with ideas and projects, so much to accomplish, so little time! To put it in perspective, I haven’t even watched a single Australian Open match; I know, crazy talk, I am aware.
The truth is I am having too much fun engaging in life to watch Nadal (stud!). I realized that I was spending too much time watching others live out their dreams; no more, these days, I am getting on with the business of living my dreams which means a lot less time to waste.
Rocking out to my toGETherJOY flow is proven to be fruitful. My ‘GOTCHA‘ moments keep showing up, and my cup of joy runneth over; allow me to share a few nuggets of my week with you.
Gotcha #1
Having space to expand is freeing as it makes room for new adventures. Journaling over my eagerness for new experiences led me to a friend’s posting inviting me to a women’s retreat. It promises to be a day filled with wellness and relaxation! Therapeutic activities, nourishing food, and lots of opportunities to connect and unwind. Let me get this straight, spend the day being inspired by strong women, sharing, learning, and growing, ah, yes, please.
Gotcha #2
A phone conversation with a friend reveals a mixed bag of emotions as she prepares for ‘Gotcha Day’ (family adoption); her heart brims with hope and excitement for what is sure to be a miracle. My heart swells with joy, and I can’t help but think of my besties and their little gifts. ‘Gotcha Day’ is one of those phrases that packs a big punch, capturing the gamut of sentiments associated with adoption, ultimately leading to families becoming whole. ‘Gotcha Day’ represents answered prayers; for my besties, ‘Gotcha Day’ means knowing their baby is home, safe, and loved. It is ‘I am your mama, and I am never letting go.’
Gotcha #3
(A text message from one of my people pops up with a quote:)
If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run together
(and then she types…)
'This could not be more true for me. I chose to run alone (literally and figuratively) for a long time, but I finally realized that I could be more and do more if I let others in my journey. Thank you to my tribe for joining me, you may not know this, but you have helped me grow' - J
(Ditto, We GOTCHA girl, love you 2)
Gotcha #4
Thing 2 is privileged to support and assist with the Highschool Unified Basketball program, which enables special ed students the opportunity to ball out on the court with the help of a student peer.
The games are remarkable as they demonstrate the best in humanity—lessons of inclusion, kindness, patience, compassion, and respect. Watching from the bleachers as Thing 2 helps the kids on the court with uplifting encouragement brings me pure joy. Hands-on student’s backs, I witness Thing 2 position players to defend, dribble, or shoot. The message from Thing 2 is indisputable; I am here for you, I GOTCHA!
Gotcha #5
Thing 2 friends, aka The Hoodies, shined so bright this week that I felt compelled to clap it out for their amazing mamas with words of admiration. ‘Ladies, I see you, raising gentle and kind warriors, poised to be extraordinary men.’ Take a victory lap, mamas, be proud; you did that #raisingmen
Gotcha #6
And last but certainly not least, I am celebrating my all-time favorite ‘GOTCHA,’ my handsome cowboy, my numero uno, my everything, twenty-five years strong, ‘GOTCHA‘ birthday boy!
I am curious to know, what are some of your ‘GOTCHA‘ moments from this week? Are you taking the time to celebrate them? Moreover, are you creating ‘GOTCHA‘ moments for your people? If you are too busy or distracted to notice, perhaps it is time to redirect.
Get your JOY,
0 Responses
YES!!! Another entry I’m going to say “I love this one!” about!
I had a beautiful “gotcha” moment this week with a perfect stranger. We were introduced with the purpose of her assessing me and my potential to fit into some upcoming work, and me assessing if the people I would be partnering with are my kind of people. (Ok, maybe that was just my agenda). Scheduled for 30 minutes via Zoom, after 5 minutes of niceties and she asking me what I understood the purpose of our conversation/meeting, she said, “Can I press pause? I have a belief that there is a form of alchemy happening when people are brought to us. Can you…” (she struggled with words). As you can imagine, my skin tingled and my heart sang, so I couldn’t help myself when I said, “Would it help you for me to back up and just talk about why I am where I am?” Her response…”YES! I would love to hear and then share the same with you!”
We DUG IN. Shared our stories which went well beyond the confines of whether or not we may want to work together (which, in turn makes us want to work together). Extending our 30 minutes to a full hour of rich, MEANINGFUL sharing was utter soul-food for two complete strangers.
Keep digging my beautiful soul sister
I have ‘Gotcha’ moments weekly, I think I just forget to STOP and absorbs them. Your post reminds me to do just that – stop, taken them in and mostly celebrate them! I recently told my Kindergartners that I’m not getting enough hugs/smiles this year (a side effect of the pandemic less touch and can’t see those beautiful smiles behind those masks) Well, since telling them I’ve been greeted daily with hug after hug after hug and an occasional dropping of the mask to see a smile that warms my heart. I can’t tell you how much of a difference these hugs and smiles make throughout my day – game changers! My Kinders have ‘Got me’ ❤️
On another note; I’m one of those lucky mamas who actually gets to celebrate an actual ‘Gotcha Day’ with my utterly incredible 11 year old beauty of a soul. Today I just stopped and studied him – just how perfect he is! It is not lost on me that my Gotcha is another amazing woman’s heartbreak! I want that woman, and all other birth moms who were brave enough to be selfless, to know that we ‘Got Them’ We are raising your babies and supporting you at the same time – WE GOT YOU and love you!
Love this, thanks for sharing.
P.S. ’11” is AMAZING and so are you