Penny came downstairs the other day. We were packing up to go home. She said, “Mom, I’m doing fine with time, but I need some help with space.” What she meant was that her suitcase was overflowing. We sorted it out by deciding what things could be left behind—temporarily or permanently.

Later on that week, I realized that I am doing fine when it comes to space but not so much when it comes to time. I have packed the suitcase too full. I need to take some things out, perhaps forever, or perhaps just for a time.

Penny’s predicament gave me a way to think about the decisions I need to make as we enter into this school year. What are the necessities? What are the commitments I must carry with me into the fall? What are the things that I can leave behind?

Then I happened upon this Lazy Genius podcast episode, which makes me think I’m not the only one asking these questions right now.

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Amy Julia Becker desires to challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and help us envision and build a world of belonging where everyone matters. Amy Julia invites people to reimagine the good life through her writing and speaking on disability, faith, and culture. She is the author of several books, including To Be Made Well, White Picket Fences, Small Talk, and A Good and Perfect Gift. She is a guest opinion writer for national publications and hosts two podcasts: Take the Next Step and Reimagining the Good Life. Becker is a graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv). She is a member of the Disability Ministry Network and the Alliance for Disability Justice and Ethics in Reproductive Genetics. She lives with her husband and their three children in western Connecticut.