Ask Murphy not to do something or why she is doing something and lately her answer will likely have an interesting caveat. Because I want to.

“Murphy, why are you standing on mommy’s couch?”

“Because I want to,” Murphy says with her head nodding while maintaining eye contact over the back of the couch willing me to agree with her.

Everything is because she wants to—or doesn’t want to. She doesn’t want to brush her teeth, she wants to eat pasta for every meal, she doesn’t want to potty on the toilet—and then five seconds later she does want to.

I have her voice ringing in my head as I go through my day—because I want to. Tacos in Prairie Star for lunch, because I want to. Hair up in a messy bun, because I want to. Another cup of coffee, because I want to.

And interestingly enough, come to work because I want to. I want to come to work. I want to get out of bed, get dressed and come to work to see my co-workers, the people I serve and hopefully, in some way, make a difference. My girls will hopefully grow up to know that if they want to work, or want to stay home then they can and all because they want to.

Everyone has things they have to do even if they don’t want to, but I hope the list of things you do because you want to is a longer one.

The phrase that initially irritated me (not buckling up because you want to isn’t a great choice, Murphy) now inspires me to move through each day making good choices that also bring me joy because I want to. And because life is always changing.