I looked across the table at this guy as we ate breakfast at a little cafe. He drove me bat-shit crazy sometimes. He constantly argued, never wanted help to do anything, told me multiple times a day I was wrong, talked loud and at times wouldn’t listen to a thing I said. But, I also loved this guy with all my heart. He’s my 9 year old son.
Since he was 5, he has wanted to go to Paris. Given no passport and the fact he can’t sit still just going to the grocery store, an international flight was not in his future. Instead, he wanted to go to Las Vegas so he could see Paris and New York in one trip. Good thinking, but definitely not. So, off to New York City we flew!
But, at first I struggled with going and felt bad leaving work. Sure, my son and I looked up places to go and made sure to plot them on a map. We’d purchased the Broadway tickets to Wicked (excellent show btw!). We were ready!
The reason I struggled was the day before I left, we went live with a new software system. The team still had a lot of follow-ups that needed to be complete. Meetings had to be scheduled. I had a lot of shit to do! How could I leave?!
I got home after work that night ready to pack for my flight the next morning. I was going through a work checklist when my son ran up, gave me the biggest hug, and said he couldn’t wait to go! It quickly dawned on me that the work stuff will always be there. My son is 9 once. I have to take time for the important stuff, which at that moment was him.
We ended up having a blast! And you know what? The sky at work didn’t fall! Sure, I had things to catch up on when I got back, but it was worth it. I took time for my son and so thankful I did. We have memories that will last a lifetime.
Bridge the Gap Consulting, LLC 