They say you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. Once it’s out, it’s out. It’s one of those old-timey sayings meant to remind you that actions have consequences. Spilled milk. Said words. Forward momentum. Irreversible things.

But the other day, in the middle of my daily routine, a sliver of calm in a world that moves like it’s had three espressos too many, I squeezed my lotion bottle and out came a silky stream. But here’s the thing. When I released my grip, the lotion didn’t just sit there. It receded. It slipped back into the bottle like a shy little tide unsure if it wanted to be seen. I paused. See! You actually can put the lotion back in the tube.

Now, I’m not saying the lotion went back the exact same way. It wasn’t a clean reversal. But it did return. Massaged back in. Resettled. Not undone, per se, but transformed. Waiting for the next release.

Now, why am I talking about lotion? This is not one long digression.

The receding lotion is just like life on some ways. Maybe you can’t unsay “the” thing. But you can revisit it. Soften it. Soothe it. Let it roll back gently into place until it’s ready to come back out again, more measured, more intentional.

Not everything is as irreversible as the clichés would have us believe. Some things are tidal. They ebb and flow. They come out and, with grace (or maybe with a good grip), they go back in.

And that, is my random early summer reminder: Not everything has to be final. Sometimes, you just need to pause your squeeze.