MARTYHAUGHT

I recently went to see Toy Story 3 with my wife and 6 year old son. We really enjoyed the movie as it was well done. However, I found the movie to be a touch bit sad. I’m not sure if others felt that but I surely did. As I pondered this, it came down the process of Andy truly saying good-bye to his toys. I believe there’s also the sadness of his mother seeing him off to college. As the parent of two children, I’m am aware that this same day will be coming soon. My oldest will turn 12 in August, which means we have another 6 years to go. Those years will go by fast. Matter of fact, we’re 2/3rds the way through having our daughter at home. It is perhaps for this reason that the movie touches me a bit more in a sad way.

This ‘end of an era’, as I like to think of it, that happens in more than just with children. I felt this when I graduated high school, discharging out of the Army and a few times when I left jobs at companies where I had been working with a team for several years. Some of these situations are less dramatic and heartfelt since our bonds weren’t as close. But the feeling is still the same.

Why would I mention all of this? Well, the lesson here is to appreciate what you have in the present moment and savor those relationships before they pass on. Don’t lose sight of spending quality time with your friends and family in pursuit of something less important in the long run. I’m in the middle of a 5 day long family vacation to South Dakota. These are precious days and while I could have been working for my clients, I’m happy that I’m not. My children will only be 6 and 11 once and the fun we’re having on this trip is priceless. Think about those things in your lives and evaluate if you’ve got your priorities straight. I’d be happy to trade in great sums of potential income for more valuable family capital that I could be investing.

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