The Way I See It # 198

"You can shower a child with presents or money, but what do they really mean, compared to the most valuable gift of all-your time? Vacations and special events are nice, but so often the best moments are the spontaneous ones. Being there. Every moment you spend with your child could be the one that really matters." - Tim Russert

This morning I woke up earlier than should really be allowed by law. It was 6:30am, my alarm was screaming at me to wake up.

Usually on a Tuesday I sleep in until 7:30am, but then again this wasn't just any Tuesday. It is Catholic school a week. It was the annual parent breakfast. It was a chance to go into the school with your child, sit down with their friends, and have a crappy meal. Parents don't go there for the food. They also don't go there for the coffee. It's a time when the parents can see how their kids are transforming in front of our eyes.

For me this morning was just a break in routine. A chance to do something different and a chance to spend much needed time with my daughter. With a career path such as mine, it is easy to get engrossed in work. A volatile industry like retail is a scary place to be. The Wall St. Journal is screaming the economy is coming to a halt, Congress can't make up their mind whether to inject our economy with more money, and there are companies laying off thousands of people. Its easy to get wrapped up in work for me. If I can help my company be successful, then I get totally enthralled, because my company's success means that I will keep my job, and with the workforce flooding with more than qualified people, my company can kick under performers to the curb before you can say unemployment.

As of late work has been addicting. My location that I manage is doing very well, but as I arrived at work, after enjoying my morning at Audrey's school, I felt like I haven't been paying attention. As I saw my daughter socialize with her friends, I asked myself, where did the time go? Have I been asleep? Or was it just the realization that my daughter is becoming her own person and her need [dependence] for me is slowly eroding away?

It was when I got this cup of coffee this morning that I realized that I want to take more time for my family. I have 3 weeks of vacation this year and 1 week that rolled over from last year that I can take. I am convinced that I will use all 4 weeks of it this year.

I am not a religious person. I'm not Catholic, I'm not Presbyterian, I'm not Jewish or Muslim, but I do have a sense that there is something bigger than me at work in the world.

The quote jumped out at me today on the side of my cup. Tim Russert speaking his wisdom from the grave on the side of a coffee cup that was filled by a creation from my favorite Starbucks girl, Angel.

*fun facts about this post.
-all photos were taken with a BlackBerry.
-this blog was written entirely on a BlackBerry.