A mother of four boys created a polished image of her life while managing her career. At a work event, she misled a pregnant attendee about her work-life balance. After reflecting on her home life, she questioned the happiness of her children and the emotional disconnect between her and her family. Observing her children's struggles and lack of attention, she recognized the discrepancy between her outward success and the actual dynamics within her household.
I fed this woman the same line, told her a story, and quite literally waved my hands fleetingly as if running a household of four young boys and managing a traveling spouse while working full time was no big deal.
I went home and looked around my house. Were my kids happy? I assumed so. But I wasn't sure. I never asked them.
I watched my oldest play baseball, striving for perfection at every pitch, emotional and angry when it didn't go his way. I watched my second get lost in the shuffle.
I realized that while I had created a facade of a perfect life, the reality was that I had neglected the emotional needs of my children.
Collection
[
|
...
]