Meet the Mom – Kierra Howard Enck
Name: Kierra Enck 
Where did you grow up: Gainesville, Florida (Go Gators!)
Town you live in now: West Palm Beach
Why you love living there: West Palm Beach keeps us central to all the things we do and love. Here, we are minutes to downtown, which hosts weekly green market and live music nights, monthly movies on the lawn and of course annual festivals (Boat Show, SunFest, Fourth on Flagler, etc). We are also minutes to Palm Beach where we can rub shoulders with the rich and famous and enjoy an afternoon burying our toes in the sandy beaches. West Palm Beach really is a diverse community. We are big city destination with an airport and cruise port, museums and theater but also offering a small town vibe with local art, shops and really making a name for ourself with unique culinary experiences for “foodies” (though my palate these days is mostly satisfied by cold mac and cheese served over the sink).
Tell me about your kids:
My husband and I met the old fashioned way….online. We have 2 kids. Jensen is our 4.5 yo boy. He is silly and sweet and obnoxiously handsome. When he is not launching off the couch or riding on the dog like a horse, he’s usually building legos and I am praying we are soon over our Transformer phase because I will otherwise need to go back to school for an engineering degree so I am legit qualified to complete the 18 step process in converting his robot guy into a Starscream fighter jet…for ages 5 and under. Seriously, ain’t nobody got time for that.
Sundy, named after the The Sundy House in Delray Beach where we were married, is our daughter. Sundy has Down syndrome and in her 3 sweet years, has by far taught us so much more than we could possibly have taught her. She could not be more perfect. She is smart and stubborn (I have no idea where she gets that…cough cough) and has an endless amount of energy. She inspires us to be kinder and more patient, value differences, take it one day at a time, and trust God.
Favorite things to do with the kids locally: We are a family that never really sits still. I wonder sometimes how that will shape our kids. Will it keep them busy and always moving toward their goals or will they crave the excitement and never feel content being still? For now though, we fill our days, after school and on the weekends, with anything that burns a shitload of preschooler energy and gets their exhausted butts in bed by 8:30p so mommy can have a glass of wine before falling asleep on the couch watching Netflix by 8:50p. Our favorite lifesaving activities are at The Pam Beach Zoo, South Florida Science Center, Lion Country Safari & Frost Museum. When you can’t find us there, we are most likely in the pool, on the beach or out boating. In the right season, we are catching spring training baseball games, WEF horse jumping, Cars and Coffee at the PB Outlets or at the PB International Raceway.
What’s your ‘day job’? How did you get started with it? I am a full time realtor and my husband is a licensed broker. We’ve worked together 7 years and yay us, have managed not to kill each other (though the day is still not over). Real estate absolutely makes me question my sanity daily; the instability, the immense pressure, the ever-changing market, the psychology of sales, new technology, the laws, the marketing and communication, the competition, the crushing expectation to be available every minute of the day and let’s face it, people out there are nuts. But you know what, I kinda seriously love it. No day is the same. It challenges me in every way and there is an incredible sense of accomplishment in overcoming those obstacles to find someone a new home or freeing someone up from a old one. There is an even greater sense of accomplishment to also be called a friend at the end of it.
What is your best parenting advise. Lay it on us. Comparison robs us of joy so stop comparing. Stop comparing yourself to other moms. Stop comparing your kid(s) to other kids. Their path is not yours and your path is equally, but differently, beautiful.
What do you do for self care? Drink wine and go to Home Goods…not particularly in that order but you get it.
Anything else you want to share? Sundy’s diagnosis was Earth-shattering. The internet was a cathole of outdate information and worst case scenarios. It could no more tell me what my kid with Down syndrome was going to be like than it could tell you what your kid without Down syndrome was going to be like. If you or anyone you know receives a similar diagnosis, step away from Google, call me, email me (kierra@liveinwpb.com), let’s go have coffee. No, I can’t tell you what your child will be like either but I will promise to pull you in, squeeze you tight, show you the amazing possibilities and be a soft place to land for wherever that journey leads you.
