🌿My infamous garage door moment

February 18, 2026

There was a season of my life when I was barely holding it together.

My girls were 13 and 11, and the twins were three. I was deep in the thick of motherhood.

One winter morning, after the girls left for school, I was heading into the garage to load the boys into the van — coats, hats, gloves, keys — all the things.

I turned my back for a split second to hit the garage door button, assuming they were safely behind me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something dark blue rising where nothing should be rising.

It was Jimmy. 😮

He was hooked by his jacket to the outside garage door and was slowly lifting into the air like a tiny circus act!

I screamed, jumped off the steps, and grabbed him mid-air, pulling him down and holding him like I might never let go.

He, of course, was giggling — having just had the “ride” of his life.

And his brother, wide-eyed and yelling from the top of the garage steps, “MY TURN!”

I, of course, immediately burst into tears.

Not because Jimmy was hurt — he wasn’t — but because I felt like the worst mother on earth. In that moment, I believed one mistake meant I was failing.

But here’s what I know now:

Overwhelmed does not mean unfit.

One moment does not define you.

So many of us live like one dropped ball means everything falls apart — at home, at work, with our finances, with our relationships.

That doesn’t make us a failure. It makes us human.

If this is you, let this be your gentle reminder to give yourself the same grace you so freely give everyone else.

And know that you are doing better than you think. 💛

Happy Wednesday! 🌿

Lisa White Burns

Founder of Her Path, LLC

Financial Wellness for Women

PS: Financial overwhelm can feel the same way — like one missed detail means everything is about to fall apart. But it rarely does.

Most of the time, what you need isn’t panic but rather perspective, a plan, and support.

▶️ This week, schedule a 15-minute “money date” with yourself.

▶️ Review your accounts, check upcoming expenses, and remind yourself what’s actually true — not what fear is telling you.

▶️ If you’re in, hit reply and let me know if this reminder helped. 👍

🌿. . . I created this "Wednesday Wisdom" blog to provide women-focused content that includes tips, tools, and my own (yes, sometimes crazy!) stories to inspire you to grow personally and financially. If you’d like to be part of this journey, please join at www.herpathbegins.com/subscribe. Thanks for being here with me!