I really love what I do. Before I ever got my real estate license, I would take my 2 sons and tour new construction homes and try to figure out which rooms were which. As a realtor, I enjoy finding good buys for people, the stress of negotiating, the satisfaction of selling a home quickly (although not always possible), and the joy of watching first time buyers purchase that first home. I find it all a great challenge.
Needless to say, many of us wear many, many different hats: marketer, ad copy, tech person, lead generator, "go-fer". You get the idea. Also needless to say, (but I'll say it anyway) time is our most precious asset. I can always find something to do.
Now school has just started along with cub scouts, piano lessons, football, etc. Parents you know what I mean. This pulls me in a whole other direction as well. That of my responsibility to my family, not only as a provider, but as a physical, interactive presence in my home. I always make an effort to give my kids undivided attention (ie. no cell phone or business, just play time).
The other morning I told my son Alexander, who is turning 4 next week, that I would be home to play that evening and mom would bring his older brother to football practice. Well 4 o'clock rolls around and I am knee deep in doing something. I can't remember what, but I know it was something to help build my business. I called my wife Letha and told her that I had a lot to do and coming home soon wasn't practical. She said no problem. She would take Alexander and the baby girl to the practice and I could meet them there at my leisure. "Thank you," I said. Now back to work, but then I remembered what I told Alexander earlier that morning. I would be home to play on his terms, not at football practice when I get around to it. I called Letha right back and told her, "No. I will be home soon to be with Alex and his baby sister, Charlotte."
You see, Alexander doesn't care about how much money we make. He wants and needs his dad to give him undivided attention and unconditional love. I feel comfortable in writng this because I know I am not lazy and I work very hard, and there are times when I do work late, and the necessity of family provision trumps other desires. But, on this day it was important that business take a backseat, to remember that investing my life into my family is bigger and better than spending another hour at the office.
By the way, we built a tractor out of an erector set, as I also kept baby Charlotte from eating every small toy should could lay her hands on. A good time was had by all.
