If you know me or if you are a dedicated Don’t Blink reader, you are probably well aware that I like to do things and make memories. My idea of fun is keeping a full calendar and jumping from one thing to the next.

I will be the first person to admit that I am afflicted with a very serious (but non-scientific) case of FOMO. For those not up to date with pseudo-syndrome acronyms, that stands for fear of missing out. A classic symptom of people who live with FOMO is the obsession with traditions. My wife tells people that if our family does something twice, it becomes an unbreakable tradition in my book.

She isn’t wrong.

On Saturday night, a sudden and painful realization hit me. I had totally forgotten about the YMCA Healthy Kids event that takes place at the beginning of June each year. It is an event with free t-shirts, a taco dinner, tons of vendors, valuable info for the kids to stay active during the summer, and plenty of fun. It could almost be classified as the kickoff to summer for our family and I felt awful for Sloan and Beau that I forgot about it.

The past two years, our kids have attended the YMCA Healthy Kids Day at the Spokane Valley YMCA. The event was held this past Friday but I totally forgot about it.

Sadly, the YMCA Healthy Kids event isn’t the only “tradition” that has not been (or will not be) continued this year. When I started my job at Eastern Washington University last August, my schedule changed a lot. I went from working primarily from home to full time in the office. Furthermore, my job entails that I occasionally show up/help at functions that fall outside of business days/hours. Because I am commuting a lot more and representing EWU at other obligations, I don’t have as much time to attend the events I established “traditions” with my family.

But it isn’t just my new job, which I really do love, that has derailed events and traditions. Sometimes it is just my own obliviousness—like with the YMCA event—and sometimes it is just learning to prioritize life. For example, later this month we will be missing Hoopfest—perhaps my favorite event of all-time—to attend an out-of-town wedding for a couple we prepared for marriage. Even though it is a no-brainer that we travel to the wedding, my FOMO ailment is already feeling like a thorn in my side.

Sidney is my “therapist” when it comes to my FOMO. She will tell me it is ridiculous that I feel the need to be everywhere and she emphasizes the value of just enjoying life without a full calendar and annual events “we have” to attend. Her counsel is helping but I also have to help myself. I need to do a better job of letting go and realizing that missing a community festival or failing to take an annual photo is not the end of the world.

So did I miss Bloomsday, the Lilac Parade, and YMCA Healthy Kids Day? Will I miss Hoopfest? Will I miss Beau’s pre-school graduation? Yes, yes, and yes. But I have also had the blessing of creating memories with my family via brand new experiences like going on a cruise and visiting Disney World. By not allowing myself to get too down about missing an event and keeping things in perspective, I can manage my FOMO and live a more balanced life. Don’t Blink.