We got stuck in a lift in Portugal this week.

Me and my four kids, on our way out for an adventure.

At first, it was funny. A bit exciting.

We stretched. Did squats. Tested the acoustics and sang harmonies.

We danced until we realised we were heating up the space.

We even said our light-hearted goodbyes and discussed how long we’d wait before taking “extreme action.”

Then came the frustration.

We’d had plans. A whole afternoon ahead of us.

And there we were, not out in the world, not moving forward, just... stuck.

Wasting time, it seemed.

But something surprising happened.

Once it became clear there was nothing to do, a soft kind of surrender washed over me.

And in that surrender, something lifted.

I realised: my FOMO - that constant hum of needing to make the most of every moment - was gone.

There were no choices to make. No experiences to optimise.

The pressure to be somewhere else, to have fun, simply disappeared.

All that was left was stillness. Presence.

Together, in a metal box, just being together.

And honestly, it felt free.

We’re so often conditioned to chase experiences, fill time, squeeze joy into every crack.

But sometimes the richest moments arrive when everything is paused.

When we’re invited, unexpectedly, to simply be.

That’s what we hold space for in our retreats.

For mothers and daughters. For mothers and sons.

Yes, we have a schedule, and yes, we have loads of fun, but while creating really intentional presence that brings us back to each other.

To what’s real. To what’s already enough.

No lifts included. Just connection, and space to remember who we are, together.

With love,

Daniela
Founder, The Gather Project