One of my English students is an older Brazilian man, a financial executive who's lived around the world and probably worked way more hours than he would have liked. He told me that most days, the only way he could see his two boys would be to peek into their rooms late at night. "That mattress was my only way of seeing how much they had grown," he told me. "I remember looking in one night and wondering who was in the bed, that it couldn't possibly be my son, someone so tall. But, of course, it was."
Sadly, I think there are lots of parents in that same position today, and as life gets busier and bills get bigger and salaries continue to rise smaller than inflation, we need to somehow be able to take stock of what really matters. Since returning to work, albeit part-time, I'm still able to be with the kids and I enjoy my time with them more because, frankly, we are all happier to see each other when we're not up in each other's business 24/7. But full-time work looms in the not-so-distant future, as Miami prices dictate the necessity of a two-salary household, and I'm resolved to somehow juggle everything I need to so that I'm not watching my kids grow from under their blankets.
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