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Happy Sunday 👋🏾,

Last week, Sheriden and I went to Lisbon for four days.

It was the first time we’d both travelled abroad without taking Zeek.

Sheriden was a bit uneasy about it. I, on the other hand, was ready for enjoyment. I wanted sun (spoiler: there wasn’t much), a few drinks, and some uninterrupted time with my wife.

We’re lucky to have grandparents who love to be involved. But I dropped the ball slightly when I told my mum we were going away. Her first response?

“Who’s got Zeek?”

When I said it was Sheriden’s mum, I could hear the disappointment in her voice. She hit me with the Yoruba equivalent: "Next time, give me a heads-up.” That’s how much this little boy is loved. Everyone wants a piece of him.

I dropped Zeek off at the childminder like it was any other morning. That was it, we were officially child-free.

I drove home like a man trying to recapture his youth. Windows down, sunglasses on, music playing.

For context, it was a three-minute drive, it was 8:00 a.m., and the music wasn’t loud, but it let me enjoy myself.

Sheri quickly brought me back to earth, as I had a few tasks to finish before we left. A few hours later, we were at the airport. We had lounge access, which only meant one thing—Hennessy XO on free pour. yeah boi.

While we were sitting there, we started talking about Zeek—his little quirks, the random things he says, and we were cracking up. There was nothing wrong with that, but it kept happening.

Even while exploring Lisbon, the conversations would loop back to him.

Zeek would’ve loved this.

It made me pause.

Do I still have game?

Do I know how to talk to my wife about more than parenting logistics?

Can I still be that slick version of Lawrence—the one who made her laugh, made her feel seen, the one who won her over?

Of course I can. It never really leaves.

I just had to unlock it—the version of Lawrence before I became Zeek’s dad.

So I did.

I made a conscious effort to talk about us. Not just updates and day-to-day talk, but to check in with Sheriden properly. I asked how she was, not just what she was doing. I made space for her. Made her feel like the centre of the moment. Not just mum, or wife, but Sheriden. The woman I chose, and keep choosing.

The first morning in Lisbon, we still woke up early. Couldn’t help it. Our bodies are wired that way now.

At some point, I rolled over and saw Sheri scrolling through photos of Zeek.

At first I was going to take the mick, but I caught myself.

This was her first trip abroad without him. I’ve done it a few times for work, so I knew that feeling, the ache in your chest, the wondering: Is he okay? What’s he doing? Does he think we’ve abandoned him?

Back in Lisbon, we did a lot of walking and Sheriden had one request:

Go with the flow. Be present.

So I did.

I didn’t ask for an itinerary. I just followed her lead.

Now, I won’t talk about how we still got lost—with Google Maps in 2025, where you can even turn on live mode and arrows show you where to go. But let me stop here. She reads this newsletter, and I don’t want any trouble.

By day two, we’d properly settled in. We were comfortable. Talking deeply. Laughing like we used to. Staying out a little later than usual.

One night, Sheriden even suggested going to a club. I was up for it, until she said it started at 11 p.m. I told her, “I’m not that guy who leaves the house at 11 anymore!"

We compromised: bar and a few drinks. That’s my lane now.

On Sunday, my knees started to flare up. At first, I thought,

“Here we go again.”

But it was a minor one. I didn’t try to hide it. I told her straight, “My knees aren’t hurting. We’ll have to Uber today.”

That was a big deal for me. Usually, I’d try to power through. I didn’t want to be the one to “ruin” the trip. But sometimes you have to pivot. Adjust. And I wasn’t about to let pain steal my enjoyment.

And for those of you wondering, yes, I brought my laptop.

But I promised myself one hour max a day, and only when Sheri was sleeping.

I even took my emails off my phone. For me, that’s huge.

Why? Because the request was explicit: be present on this trip.

And I owed it to both of us to follow through.

You might be thinking, “Lawrence, why are you telling me about your four days in Lisbon?”

Here’s why.

We live in a world that never switches off.

Always available. Always online. Always on call for someone else’s urgency.

Whether it’s parenting, work, group chats, or just the rhythm of modern life—it’s easy to drift.

To let the people you love fade into the background while you respond to someone else’s notification.

And it’s not just about kids.

It’s about not letting the things you value slowly get pushed out of frame.

Your relationships. Your peace. Your sense of self.

We don’t need to fly off to reconnect.

We’ve got family, support, people who genuinely want to help.

Maybe it’s a walk. A date night. Choosing conversation over another episode.

Just showing up for each other. On purpose.

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Have a great week!

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