Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

There are weeks that feel like you’re wading through knee-deep mud. Everything drags. The caffeine doesn’t do the trick. The inbox never gets cleaned out. Even the weather seems moody.

And then … there are weeks like this one.

It started with a business meeting. Nothing flashy or Instagram-worthy, just a solid, energizing conversation that left me feeling encouraged. You know the kind. Where ideas are clicking, the other person gets it, and for a moment you think, “OK, we’re on the right track.” In a world where progress sometimes feels like pushing a snowblower uphill in July, a meeting that leaves you energized is no small thing.

Then, I got to attend a special event that made me pause and smile, my friend announcing the grand opening of our community’s inclusive playground. She and a small group of others have been working hard on this project. They’ve sat through countless meetings, hosted fundraisers, written grant applications and fielded a million questions, many of them versions of “Why is this so important?” And now, it’s happening. The cushy ground has been laid, the obstacles are operational and kids and adults of all abilities will get to play side-by-side.

What a win. Not just for the families this park will serve, but for the ones who saw a need and didn’t quit. I know how long she’s poured into this, and seeing her hard work pay off, well, it was just awesome.

Now I’m packing up to go camping with my family. If you know me, you know that I’m a big fan of connection, and nothing hits quite like late-night campfire conversations and early morning outdoor breakfast wearing sneakers and yesterday’s hoodie. We’ll load up the van with more snacks than anyone needs, forget something important like bug spray, and spend way too long trying to assemble the tent. But it’s all part of it. A change of pace. A little fresh air. A little less email. A little more us.

Here’s the thing: none of these moments, on their own, are particularly earth-shattering. A meeting. A park. A weekend getaway. But strung together, they remind me how momentum builds. Sometimes you don’t need a huge breakthrough or a once-in-a-lifetime win, you just need a week where a few good things stack up.

It’s easy to miss those wins when you’re moving fast. When the to-do list is long and the days blur together, we forget to pause and take it all in.

So that’s what I’m doing. Naming the good. Not because everything’s perfect (spoiler: it’s not), but because the good deserves to be noticed. Because progress, joy and connection don’t always arrive with confetti and trumpets. Sometimes they show up as an honest conversation, a friend’s success and a weekend in the woods with people you love.

If you’ve had a week like this, filled with little wins, pause and notice. Let it fuel you. Let it remind you that momentum matters. And if your week’s been rough? Hang in there. The upward turns do come.

And when they do, I hope you don’t rush past them. I hope you sit still for a moment, breathe it in, and remind yourself, “This is good.”

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears every Saturday.