By Jessica Rocho Nagatani

I was joking with my sister the other day, and mumbled under my breath while looking through our stack of holiday cards, “‘Tis the season for over spending, overeating, and perfection.”

Have you ever noticed how perfect everyone’s family photos look on their holiday cards? Hence my comment. I am no different. Our holiday cards show the most beautiful kids with two parents that look even more in love than the day they met, all while standing in front of America’s most lethal weapon, the F-22 Raptor. The perfect family, with perfect jobs, perfect children, and perfect parents who have it all together.

But let’s be honest; I have shared all but perfection this past year. I have spent most of 2019 sharing my frustrations and challenges but tonight, well tonight, I want to share a win. So here it goes. In standard fashion, I RSVP’d two days prior to a party day for a six year old’s birthday. The party was from 6:30-9:00pm on a Sunday during the holiday break. I hesitated to accept the invite, given the time of year and the time of day of the party, but when I asked my daughter if she wanted to attend, she was emphatic about going. So we showed up early and noticed 12 place settings. As we waited for others to show, we met the family, sat next to the birthday boy then grabbed our tokens and headed to play games. That’s when I looked up and realized not one other kid was there for the birthday boy. I am not sure who was invited or the reasons for people not being able to make it. But, I can tell you, the family was amazing, the mom was so happy we were there, and the party was so fun. I don’t know that I have ever enjoyed a birthday more.

I learned so much from my daughter that night. I learned my daughter is not only fun, but she is funny and kind. But most of all, she taught me to just “show up”. On our ride home from one of the most exciting birthday parties I have ever been to, my daughter reminded me why this time of year is so special. It is about Fun, Family and Friends and how important it is to show up for people!

Just show up!  When life is busy and you feel as though you are barely staying afloat, showing up is a win. That is all your friends and family want. Someone to be there when they need you. Your family doesn’t expect wonder woman and neither do your friends. You never know, you may be the only one there! Happy New Year!

After some 15 years in the mortgage industry, Jessica is spending some downtime with her two children before she starts her new adventure in the mortgage industry. Jessica lives in Kailua with her husband, children and three dogs.