The Things You Miss

Right after Alexis was born my parents had the opportunity to spend a lot of those early months with her, they also had the same chance with Nathan. My mom had retired early and my dad was finally at a point with his business that he was comfortable to leave the jobsite for a few hours or days at a time. So they were both witness to many of those early milestones such as rolling over, crawling, talking, and walking. I was thrilled to have the chance to see these things with both of my children, and also happy that my parents were enjoying this special time with their grandchildren.

The other night the kids had spent the night with my parents and I went by the next morning to pick them up. My mom had picked up a small bicycle with training wheels on it at an auction some months back. I remember when she got it, but I was starting my new job and I really hadn’t thought much about it, until this morning when I witnessed both of my kids cruising around the garage at breakneck speed on their bike. It was so funny to see this skill that I was unaware they had. With any other riding toys I had seen them on before, the pedaling was too difficult. They now had this down pat and were having a great time. When my dad realized my shock he explained to me that this was one of those milestones that he had missed when my sister and I were growing up, just like the rolling over and the crawling.

After a while the sadness had set in about not knowing what my kids were doing when I was away from them. They often come home singing a new song, or reciting a new nursery rhyme, but the bicycle got to me. It then occurred the true sacrifice I made by taking this job that is farther away from home. I know it is a good choice for the financial stability of my family. The compensation is good, the perks are fantastic, and I am finally with a company that offers health insurance. I am actually pleased with the work I am doing and I can see myself with this company for a long time. I know deep down that everything will be fine. I know from my own experience the times I spent with my own grandmother while my parents worked was wonderful. It was in her home that I learned to read and write and I was prepared for kindergarten when the time came. I know my own children will have those same types of memories with their Grandma. I guess it is just a little bittersweet to know that I am missing those important stages in the lives of my children, but it is nice to know that my parents are getting the opportunity to make up for that lost time they had. Maybe this is all just part of the cycle, and I am just another spoke in the wheel. I guess that I know Alexis and Nathan will grow up to be well-adjusted adults despite the fact that they are away from me more often. I turned out pretty good, and I had the same type of experience as a child.