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30 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2025 life, we create healthier boundaries by saying no, protecting evenings, unplugging, and letting non- urgent work wait. Similarly, we can adjust our priorities accord- ing to what is most important in a given season. Lean into your family's milestones, illness, or emo- tional need, and lean into work during temporary deadlines rather than continuous urgency. When we can't achieve that balance, children often ask someone else to join in, adding support to the lighter side. As adults, this translates into seek- ing help through teamwork, delegation, shared responsibilities at home, childcare support, or out- sourcing tasks that drain time and energy. On a seesaw, riders communicate constantly, agreeing when to push off, when to slow down, and when to pause. We mirror that in life through honest conversations with family and colleagues about schedules, expectations, fatigue, and emo- tional bandwidth, so that no one feels neglected or taken for granted. Finally, when things feel unsafe, uneven, frustrating, or exhausting, riders pause and reset, recognizing that forcing balance can lead to a fall. Likewise, in life, rest, reflection, and recalibration are not signs of weakness but wis- dom, reminding us that burnout helps no one, and balance requires ongoing awareness. Riding a seesaw teaches us that balance is never a single decision but a repeated practice of minor adjust- ments, shared effort, and thoughtful presence—the same formula required to keep our work produc- tive and our relationships strong. While our careers, passions, and accomplish- ments may be meaningful and deeply fulfilling, they are not the ultimate measure of a well-lived life. Work gives us purpose, identity, and the ability to provide, but family gives us belonging, ground- ing, and legacy, which we cannot outsource, dele- gate, or automate. We can replace titles and refill jobs, but achievements will eventually fade into history. However, the impact we leave in the hearts of those we love is permanent. Our most significant influence is found not in what we build, publish, or produce, but in the laughter shared around the dinner table, the con- fidence instilled in a child, the wisdom passed on through stories, the love offered without condi- tions, and the memories created intentionally. Careers shape our résumés; family shapes our character. One defines what we accomplish; the other, who we are. When the seesaw of life finally returns to stillness, it won't be our deadlines, proj- ects, or awards we wish we had more time for; it will be the moments, conversations, and relation- ships that remind us who we were beyond the work. Family is not an interruption to our purpose; it is the purpose that makes everything else worth pursuing. DESIGN007 John Watson is a professor at Palomar College, San Marcos, California. To read past columns, click here. E L E M E N TA RY, M R . WATS O N