What is important...?

Dreams are funny things. For me, my dreams for this life have never died, or gone away… but merely evolved as my life has grown and unfolded. When I was just starting out my in my career I used to dream of financial success. Now I dream about spending more time helping Ethan with his homework and playing with him. I used to dream about being able to travel and shop and explore the world. Now I dream about being home more, and exploring the backyard and building forts out of a blanket and a bunk bed.

I always saw myself being focused and driven, moving up the ladder and achieving success. Now as I move up that ladder I see that to move in one direction towards one thing means to move away from something else. No matter what you’re doing in life, you’re giving up something else. It’s scientific. If I’m volunteering at my son’s school, then I’m not working. If I am traveling for a meeting, well then I’m not home making dinner. The idea that you can have it all is flawed. You can’t have it all, but you can have a lot if you’re mindful and balanced. But that’s easier said than done.

Age helps us realize that we are not given an infinite amount of time to do everything we desire. We must always choose where and how to spend it. This is a choice we make everyday. Do you set aside the cell phone and spend that 15 minutes talking to your children instead of texting and reading emails? Do you wake up an hour early to give yourself some extra time to talk to you spouse before work? Small decisions add up quickly with the amount of distractions that exist in our lives.

Being a single parent is all too common now, it’s prevalent and it isn’t an easy thing to do. Imagine the struggle married couples have to balance children, work, social engagements, church, etc. Even between two adults these responsibilities weigh heavy and require constant attention and prioritization. Now cut out one of the adults, and put all of those things onto one person. Imagine the feeling of knowing that to support your child and build a life you have to be away from them most of the time. It’s an irreconcilable circumstance that many face everyday. So you make the choices you can make, and you try your best to make them with love. And you never stop dreaming.