We love having Abby Cox in the studio!
We are thrilled to introduce a brand-new series called “On My Mind.” The aim of this series is to unite us as women and remind us that regardless of who we are, we all have similar life experiences. Each month, we’ll invite a woman you admire to share what’s been on her mind lately, both professionally and personally. It’s the essence of a good girlfriend chat, where we exchange experiences and thoughts that bring us joy and push us to grow.
We’re starting at the top! Our first guest was the First Lady of Utah, Abby Cox.
Meet Abby Cox
Since her husband, Spencer Cox, was sworn in as governor in 2021, Abby has been a strong voice in our state. She has inspired Utahns to treat one another as equals, with kindness and compassion. You can see it in her smile. This woman is warm and real. She and Governor Cox, who are high school sweethearts, are the parents of four children.
It’s been three years since Abby took on the role of First Lady.
Reflecting on her journey, Abby shared, “Time goes fast when you’re having fun.”
She expressed surprise at the sheer volume of work they’ve been doing. “We think, ‘oh, this is such an amazing experience and event’ and all of a sudden, we’re on to the next. It’s fast-paced for sure.”
When asked how she maintains her stamina amidst the fast pace, Abby credited her great team and her love for exercise. She believes in doing things that help her mental health and physical health, which helps her to center mind and keep going.
What’s On Abby’s Mind?
Unified Sports with Special Olympics
Professionally, what’s been grabbing Abby’s attention and heart lately is unified sports with Special Olympics. This is where kids with and without disabilities play on the same teams together. Many high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools are now participating in Unified Sports.
Abby finds joy in this work, stating, “It’s a joyful, joyful event.”
Abby underscored the joy of an event like Unified Sports and how it brings people together.
“The beauty of unified sports is having children with intellectual disabilities and their typically developing peers, creating the friendships,” Abby shared.
Navigating the World of Adult Children
On a personal level, Abby has been thinking about navigating the world of adult children.
She shared, “I’m at the point where three of my four children are out of the house, navigating college and real life. And I always say nobody prepares you for that, right? Nobody prepares you for adult children. And it’s hard.” But Abby said she reminds herself often to not worry about what she did or didn’t teach her kids before they left the house. Instead, she focuses on accepting, loving, and connecting.
Disagreeing Better
Abby also touched on the topic of disagreeing better. The idea is simple: having a different point of view or perspective doesn’t mean we need to hate each other. Abby shared a startling statistic revealed that 30% of people have ended a relationship over a political issue. However, we don’t have to walk away. Instead, Abby encouraged us to develop conversation skills. We can talk, we can disagree, and most importantly, we can listen to understand, not to debate or defend. Abby explained that “a soul that is open and ready to learn and listen” is key to understanding and growth.
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