I work every weekend. My colleagues can vouch for me, that I've never been extremely punctual, but I never call out. Sometimes I leave from a game field, a basketball court, a family party, a bridal shower, a baby shower, or a holiday dinner. Sometimes I leave, and everybody's already gone at the next event, and sometimes I leave a house full of kids and people. Sometimes I've pulled together a dinner plan, sometimes there is no plan. Sometimes everyone's happy and having fun, kissing me goodbye, waving at the window. Sometimes everybody is crying, hanging onto my leg, telling me it's not fair I have to go. But here's the thing, we all make sacafices for our family, and do what we have to do to make it work. I'm lucky to be home all week, and even more lucky to have a wonderful husband home on the weekends. I choose to work nights and weekends, because it works for us. But, if you find that you're a few minutes late, maybe it's because they needed you to watch one more at bat, give you one more kiss, or ask you one more time if they can have a hampster for their birthday. Maybe they need to tell you all the rules of the game they made up, show you how they can jump off the top bunk onto a beanbag like the big kids (and almost get killed), or plead their case about how they "only have to do 1 sheet of math tonight, not 2". Take the minute to listen, to watch, to cheer them on, and give another kiss, so maybe someday they'll do the same.
