I was mindlessly scrolling through Tik Tok the other night after the kids finally fell asleep. That’s one of my few guilty pleasures that I enjoy during my quiet time. There is always a constant inner struggle after that usually takes place anywhere between 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. Should I go to bed at a decent hour tonight so that I will not be a walking zombie tomorrow? Or should I stay up until the wee hours of the morning watching Tik Tok or catching up on my Netflix streaming? It is usually the latter. I have to take advantage of a few hours of “me” time every now and then.  

For those not up to the times, Tik Tok configures a “For You Page” that usually revolves around your interests and the types of videos you watch on a regular basis. So, my page consists mostly of makeup tutorials, funny mom fails and ideal vacation spots.  

While I was scrolling, I came across a Tik Tok that said, “Take what little you have and make it huge.”  

I did not think too much about this and just kept scrolling. A couple of videos later, there was a video of a family enjoying a nice summer vacation in Hawaii. (I wish).  

I really do wish I had the time and resources to take my little family of five on a vacation like that for a couple of weeks. If not Hawaii, at least Disney, a cruise, something. 

But our schedules along with some unexpected home repairs are not going to allow that kind of trip this summer. So now I am sulking during my “me” time.  

I closed my eyes and my phone and started praying. Not for a vacation, but some quality time with my kids, some memorable moments for them to experience this summer, just a few slower days.  

I said, “Amen” and reopened my phone. Guess what popped back up on my screen? That woman telling me to “take what little I have and make it huge.” 

I just knew this was God telling me to take a little time and a little energy (and maybe a little money) and go make it huge.  

This was God telling me that my kids do not need an extravagant trip to Hawaii in order to have a memorable summer.  

When I think back on my childhood my most memorable moments include my mother letting me play outside in the rain, going to see a movie with my cousins, learning how to ride a bike in the driveway and eating blackberries straight off the bush.  

This was also God telling me that I was enough and that I do not need to compete against someone else’s idea of a perfect summer. Trying to keep up with the Joneses is a pursuit that has no end.  

Take what little you have and make it huge. Make it happen. Make it memorable. Make it fun. Make it yours. After all, it IS what YOU make it.

(Paige Nash is a wife, mother, publisher of Bienville Parish Journal and Claiborne Parish Journal and a digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal.)