One of the hardest things about running your own business is the travel that quite often comes with the gig. So when I was invited to Toronto this past weekend as a guest presenter to a group of retailers on the topic of how to use social media for business, I knew not only would I be gone for the weekend but gone in spirit due to the prep for the presentation in the week leading up to the conference. Well that would normally be ok with all my family but that prep also landed on the my son’s first week of school and on days that my wife was pulling some long hours on set. I knew that I wasn’t going to be able spend as much time with him as I could debriefing his first days in grade one.
I usually would have stayed after class and let him play with his friends and run out that mass of energy that 5 year olds have. The playtime was even more important due to the fact that he was re-bonding with his classmates after the long summer break from them. But it was not to be due to my workload and so without the slightest moan or protest he saddled up next to me for the walk home each day after school. It was not easy but he was a trooper about it.
The three of us have traveled quite a bit in the last year including a two month stint in Spain when Noah was just 4.5 years old. So now when I travel for business on my own I really miss my crew. I had booked a total of three days in T-Dot with the last one slated as a day off to catch up with friends and explore the city. The first two days where ok and I busied myself with the prep and presentation, but the third day I really missed my travel buddies. It somehow did not feel the same without them. So by the time I got to the airport for my 10:30pm flight I was more than ready to get back to home to my family.
The long and turbulent flight finally ended and I fell into a cab and pointed him in the direction of my downtown tower block. It was now 1am and I was completely exhausted partly due the time change and the anti-nauseant that I needed to take due to the turbulence. I was also quite peckish and thought meh I’m just too tired to make anything to eat. As I quietly made my way into the kitchen I found a carefully printed card in front of a spectacular fruit and cheese plate that said “I love you dad”. Well it looks like grade one is working out fine and that he does not begrudge me for being so busy with work.
It’s those little moments that make the long hours and time away worth it.