My parents bought me a Fitbit last year, and let me tell you something: I LOVE it. I love the accountability it gives to me get up and get moving. I love that, after several years of being very sick, the Fitbit gives me proof that I am back to living my life again. And I love the important lesson that it has taught me: It’s not just the hikes, the visits to the gym, or the Zumba workouts that help me to be more fit. It’s the little things that help build health, strength, and stamina. Every single step I take, every bit of movement: it all counts.
A few weeks ago, my parents began a challenge for their children. The winner of the Workweek Hustle would win a cash prize.
Game. On.
Day one of the challenge was like most others – busy with housework, grocery shopping, the normal activities of life, plus taking the dog for an extra-long walk that day. (I can think of no one who is a bigger fan of the Workweek Hustle than my dog.) As I synced my steps before bedtime, I was in the lead, but narrowly. I’d need to pick up the pace a bit if I wanted to ensure my victory.
As it turns out, I’m a bit competitive when there is cash on the line.
So on the second day of the challenge, I was in cram-in-as-many-steps-as-I-can mode. I had several errands to run, but in the middle of them, I took a break to take my son to the park.
We went down the slides on the playground, tried out the monkey bars, played tag, and walked laps as we talked about life. He and I were both having fun, and I was thrilled to have a great way to entertain him and – of course – to rack up some more steps. At one point, he asked me to swing with him. He is practicing pumping his legs, so I gave him one push to get started, then I hopped on the swing next to him and coached him.
Within a few minutes, I was feeling tired. (Swings are a good workout!) But as I cheered and chatted, I started to wonder something: “Does this count?” I was moving, and I was working hard, but I wasn’t sure if my Fitbit was recognizing it. I almost stopped the swing so I could check my step count, swing again, and then double-check.
And then I realized something.
OF COURSE it counts.
Whether my steps register on a device or not … whether I win the weekly challenge or not … it counts.
I was moving my body.
That counts.
I was getting exercise in a way that was fun and meaningful to me.
That counts.
I was having fun with my son, creating memories, and playing with him in a way that he was loving.
That counts.
More than anything else I do, that counts.
How often do we stop in our tracks and think, “Does this matter? Does what I do really matter?”
Have you wondered that as you calculated how many diapers you have changed in the last year, or how many sippy cups you have opened and filled and closed and handed out, only to later be washed and dried, and then opened and filled and closed and handed out …
As it seems that you are doing the same tasks over and over … as you find yourself constantly busy but never “getting anything done”, have you wondered if any of this counts for anything?
Have you looked at where you thought you’d be in life, and then looked at where you are, and wondered if any of this is making a difference?
Have you thought of your dreams of a career or of a degree or of fame and fortune, and then wondered if your life amounts to anything more than a sink full of dishes and a fussy child who needs help finding a favorite toy?
Let me tell you this.
It matters.
With all of the energy I have, with all of the love in my heart, I promise this to you: it counts. Every single bit of it.
Every meal you prepare for your children is providing the nourishment their growing bodies need on a continual basis. It matters.
Every load of laundry you do ensures that your children’s clothing is fresh and clean. It matters.
Every diaper you change keeps your baby hygienic and happy. It matters.
Every time you teach your children to be kind and respectful, even when it’s hard, you are laying the foundation for a lifetime of compassion and integrity. It matters.
You might feel that you spend all day doing things that are pointless, or even worthless. But remember this. Every story you tell, every dish you wash, every doctor’s appointment you drive to, every trip to the grocery store, every night that you tuck in your child and whisper, “I love you.”
Every single thing you do, even if there is no one looking and no device tracking it.
Each moment that slips away from you with nothing to show.
These moments are not gone. They are not wasted.
They are invested.
And they count.
Every single one. They all count.
Kimber Daley is a wife, a mom, a writer, and a sun-loving California girl who is learning to cherish a new life in beautiful Colorado. She loves sipping on Jamba Juice, devouring Chick-fil-A breakfast biscuits, and carefully bargain shopping year-round for her Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. She has lots of fun sharing simple, meaningful ways to make a difference in the world at her website, Let’s Do Some Good Today.
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Danielle is the owner of Today's the Best Day. She strives to provide creative and uplifting content in order to enrich the parenting experience for women everywhere. Danielle hopes to help you and your family to make every day the best day! 
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