Hard Lesson Learned

When I was early in my career and trying to be everything to everyone, I struggled with being fully present with my family.

I’ll never forget a moment from Luca’s first season of Little League — actually T-ball.

He caught a pop fly, which at that age is a huge deal. He looked up, beaming with pride and joy…and I was looking down at my phone, working on an email that felt “urgent.”

Maureen elbowed me hard. I looked up.

But I’m pretty sure Luca already knew I wasn’t really there.

Wherever you are, be there, Jim Rohn said it best.

Nothing on that phone mattered more than that moment — and time moves so fast, you don’t get many chances to learn that twice.

I still see it all the time now: parents on their phones during games, missing moments that pass in a blink. It hurts my heart, because I’ve been there.

I’m grateful I learned this lesson early, and I hope this is helpful to someone who might need the reminder today.