Wasted Days

There are so many things that fill our days. The daily grind is a little more evident in today's world than it has been for me up to this point in my life. Though I try not to leave things undone there are things that I just don't seem to fit into my daily schedule.

With all of the things that I am able to get accomplished in a day, some of the greatest things that I do have nothing to do with exerting any energy. Things like spend time with TY. Build a lego set or just lounge on the couch spending the necessary time to let him know that I will always be there for him. Play a video game or teaching him to shoot. These are all things that don't lead me to getting any of my stuff in order. However, I wouldn't trade this time for anything. 

So what the laundry is now a load behind... So what the dishes are not done yet... I don't care. Tomorrow is not promised to me. Nor is it to anyone else. I do not see the point in living for accomplishments that aren't going to mean anything in the grand scheme of things. I do not want to be the most decorated man in the cemetery.

Though my job is important to me, if it came down to it I will always choose my family over it. I know that I need my job as a means of providing and maintaining a lifestyle, however, that is not where MY priorities lay. My priorities start in my home. They start with my family. The ones that are closest to me. I would rather live in a run down double-wide surrounded by people that love me, than in a mansion with strangers. I am ok with that. 

So, while we work to buy the things that show everyone else our financial status, if that is all that we have to show of our lives, is it worth it? Is the pile of trinkets from here, there and yonder worth the time that was lost? Was picking up that extra shift at the mill really worth it? For some the answers will be yes... For me, absolutely not. 

If I don't get my chores done today, it is because I want my son to know that there are greater things in life than what's in daddy's wallet. When I turn down the extra shift this evening, it is not because I don't need the money. It is simply because I want to spend my time where it will be better suited for my heart. 

Some of my greatest regrets are not the things that I have done in my life. They are the things that I didn't do when I had the chance. When the opportunity presented itself, when it meant the most to those who needed it. When it would have made that person feel as though they were the most important thing in my life. I know now that I can't get that time back. Some of these people and situations are irreparable. And this is something that weighs very heavy on me.

So don't make the same mistakes that I did. Spend the time... over use I love you. Hold your kid. Play ball when your asked. Don't let your most "productive" days accidentally be your most wasted days!

 Heavy Hearted

~Michael