Cats in the Cradle

One of the things that kind of sucks about the growth of my pointy hair is the travel I find myself undertaking as of late.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind travel at all.  Hotels, airports, rental cars.  None of that bothers me.  It’s being away from the wife and kids that’s been harder to get used to.

Take today.  I had to travel to Orlando.  The plane was filled with families with excited kids going to Disney.  Made me think of my girls and how much they liked coming down here back in June.  Then I made it to my hotel, and all I could think about was how much they would have enjoyed where I’m staying.

I keep hearing “Cats in the Cradle” in my head every time I check into a new hotel, and I sometimes wonder if I’m neglecting my duties as a parent a bit.  That’s a hard thing to come to terms with.

That said, I get to video chat with the girls while I’m away, and that actually helps a lot.  It’s so much better than a simple phone call.  When they kiss the screen and tell me good night, it makes me feel better.

I write this tonight, from a hotel room in Orlando, to remind myself that I need to continue to make more time for my kids and wife when I’m home, as that will make the time I’m away easier on us all.

But for now, it’s back to work…