Bring Back Big Families

Yesterday morning marked a milestone: my first time packing school lunches for four kids, as our four oldest are now all officially tearing into the school year. I stood at the kitchen counter, a one-man assembly line, crafting their homemade lunchables with crackers, cheese, and pepperoni, stacking them neatly into each of their lunch bags. Each applesauce, flavored water, and trusty ice pack to keep it all cool was packed with love that I hope they felt as they ate it. Six lunches total, including mine and my wife’s, I was juggling Ziploc bags and containers like a pro, double-checking everyone’s favorites.

It’s a whirlwind, no doubt. Four kids, four different preferences, and the pressure to make sure they’re fueled for a full day of learning. But as I zipped up their lunch bags and sipped my iced coffee, I felt a quiet pride settle in. Taking on the cooking and meal prep has been my way of lightening my wife’s load, and there’s something deeply satisfying about knowing I’m the one that starts their day with breakfast, sends them off to school with lunch bags packed (when they choose not to eat in the cafeteria), and fills their bellies with dinner when they get home in the evening. It’s not just about the food: it’s about showing up for them, day in and day out, meal in and meal out, if you will.

Sure, the early mornings and the occasional chaos of mismatched lids and missing lunch bags that were never brought in from the car or left in a backpack (there’s always one) might test me, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This routine, this responsibility, as tough as it may sometimes be figuring out breakfast or packing lunches or cooking dinner through sagging eye lids, it’s a privilege. Feeding my family, making sure they’ve got what they need to take on the world, is a small thing that I do with great love that fills me with purpose.

So, here’s my challenge to you: find one small way to show up for your people today, whether it’s packing a lunch or something else. Those little moments? They’re what make all the difference.

Here’s to more mornings of lunch-packing madness and the joy of knowing I’m doing my part for my family.