I have had a fantastic, busy, stressful, amazing, fulfilling, enriching, spectacular, validating last 30 days. Perhaps the busiest month of my life. Let’s recap:
On September 13th I stayed up for 34 hours straight and talked for 24 of them as the host of the 24 Hour Hunger Action Month Food Bank Telethon to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Two days later I attended the X-Change Conference in California for 4 days. The next day I flew out to Italy for 6 days to spend the week with the Michael Angelo’s family. Two days later I flew out to Boston to speak at the eMetrics Boston conference. Tomorrow I fly home with no planned travel for the rest of this year.
While this month has been packed with memorable events I am sick of living out of my suitcase. I am sick of not being home in my own bed. I miss my routine. Seeing my coworkers every day. Making breakfast for my kids. Falling asleep with my arms wrapped around my wife.
While this month had what seemed like non-stop travel, I had single days at home between events. And I took advantage of them. Most recently, my first day back, still on Italy time, I helped coach my daughter’s first night soccer game and then my son’s game the next day. I spent my hours playing with my kids. Asking them about their school day. Cuddling.
I don’t plan on doing this ever again. This time away has been really tough on everyone too. I have been blessed with the most amazing wife in the world who has taken the slack. With friends who have covered for me at soccer practices and games. A brilliant team at work that have kept the momentum going in my absence.
Even though it has been tiring and my worn down body has picked up a cold that I can’t seem to kick quickly, this month’s schedule taught me something important: my kids needed me to go through this.
They needed me to go through this because doing what I do makes me a better person. It makes me feel like I am living a more fulfilled life. It makes me feel more creative. This is the dad they deserve. This is a dad that feels like he made a difference for the hungry in North Carolina. This is a dad that feels good about how he is contributing to his company. This is a dad that feels validated that he has built a web show that is a leader in the industry. This is a dad that feels confident in his business relationships and his public speaking ability. In a nutshell, this is the complete me. (I just happened to cover all the facets of who I am in a very condensed time frame.)
I know this because every time I come home, my supportive family sees it in my excitement that I am fulfilled. They don’t dwell on me being gone, they concentrate on what I have experienced. That is what every kid deserves: a dad that is proud of the person he has become.
I spent a lot of time this past month worrying about what my time away would mean for my kids. Would I miss out on life events? Would they realize they don’t miss me? Will they be mad and hold it against me? It may sound irrational in thought but those are real fears. What 15 days away from home has taught me is being the complete me (while sometimes inconvenient) is ok.
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Gregory Ng
GOAL: Visit 100 National Parks as a family by 2020. Favorite Parks: Zion National Park, Mt Rainier National Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park
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