Dad, How Do You Know What Day It Is?

That was the question that my young son asked me. He was probably around 5 or 6 at the time. When I asked him what he meant, he replied:

“You are always in front of your computer. Every morning when I wake up and every night when I go to bed you are in front of your computer working. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Monday or a Saturday, or Thanksgiving or 4th of July, you are always there working. So, how do you know what day it is?”

Wow! Talk about a punch in the gut! That was such an eye opener, so convicting, that I can’t even accurately explain how it made me feel.

In that moment I knew I had been failing as a father. I had been so focused on my work, my career, and providing for my family that I had lost focus on my family. In building my career I had worked demanding jobs for most of my adult life. Working hard to provide for my family was what I did, It had just become my norm.

But in doing so I had lost sight of my most important job, being present for my family.

I knew I needed to make a change. I needed to be available to my family, and if my job was preventing that then I needed to find a different job. So, I began looking for another job and ultimately landed one that was much less demanding, better suited for my long term career plans, and much better for my family.

This was several years ago, but I still think about it often. I will always regret letting my life get to that point, but I will be forever grateful for that tiny little voice of reason and his curious question.