Taking Care of Harry’s Mimi

I’ve never really done a “word of the year” before, but this year I decided to do it. The word for 2026 is:

Self-Care

When I told one of my kids about this, she rolled her eyes a bit and asked if I meant “real self-care” or the fake kind with “bubble baths and massages.” I said I meant both. I mean, what’s wrong with more bubble baths and massages? I count both of those as self-care. But I am also going to try out a reduced work hour schedule for the first part of the year in an attempt to decrease my work stress, which was way too high last year, and increase my “work-life balance.”

The latter is a tricky word for many of us. Work-life balance usually means doing everything, especially for women. I’m trying to find ways to get myself to do less, and sometimes even, nothing. I’ve been using a WHOOP monitor for the last half of 2025 and it has done it’s job beautifully in helping me decrease my pain levels. I have zero pain while running, though I do have to keep my runs shorter than I used to. The last four days in a row, I had zero pain, which is huge for me.

Work-life balance is also about going outside more (my goal is two hours a day while the sun is out). It means doing more cooking for myself (besides eggs and toast and soup from a can). It means planning some elaborate weekend dinners with the family. It means going on a cruise this summer with two of my kids in Germany, where I spent my sophomore year of high school. It means spending money on things I care about and slowly monitoring the decrease of my retirement savings—yes, a little early.

But mostly it means getting to spend more “golden time” with my new grandson Harry, who is the cutest baby ever (and I will fight you on this, though I won’t show any pics because that’s not allowed!). I love everything about spending time with Harry. Changing diapers, watching him learn how to use toys—and drop them, taking him on walks, learning baby sign language to help him communicate, and even (sometimes) crying. Crying is often communication and I mostly like that it means that he needs help from me, because I can give it.

In this current world where I feel like everything is too big for me to change, I can do small things to make a difference and make the world a better place. I can care for my grandchild and I can write books. I can also care for myself, because I am Harry’s Mimi and Harry’s Mimi deserves to be cared for. I spent so much of my life waiting for other people to take care of me, and angry when I felt like they either didn’t bother or didn’t do it right. Now I’m finally at a point where I get to take care of me.

Driving in my car, I find myself being more cautious and driving more slowly than I used to. Why? Because I’m taking care of Harry’s Mimi. I know, I know. I’m not supposed to value myself only in relation to others. I’m not valuable just because I am a caregiver of a child. But if it helps me take care of myself (and it does), I’m going to take it and enjoy it as part of my year of taking care of me.