Tight Timelines and Fun Things

Monday morning.

This weekend did not go according to plan.

Not even close.

Saturday was supposed to be Zoey's annual violin recital.

The boys, however, had other ideas.

Or more accurately, strep throat did.

My wife and Zoey made the drive to Richmond while I loaded up David and Jacob and headed to the doctor.

At first, I thought we'd be home by lunch.

A quick appointment.

A few tests.

Maybe some work around the house afterward.

Instead, the entire day disappeared.

The appointment itself went smoothly.

The boys handled the swabs like champions.

Flu.

COVID.

Strep.

The doctor asked the usual questions before quickly realizing we weren't there because we'd ignored six weeks of illness.

We were there because things had changed.

She understood immediately.

Ten kids.

Homeschooled all of them until high school.

She knew exactly what we were dealing with.

Before the ten-minute timer for the tests had even finished, the nurse popped her head into the room.

Positive for strep.

No need to wait.

The rest of the tests eventually came back negative.

Prescriptions sent.

Problem solved.

Or so I thought.

The pharmacy had changed its weekend hours.

Closed.

So began the scavenger hunt.

Calls to the doctor's office.

New pharmacy.

Missing prescriptions.

Driving across town.

Racing a closing clock.

A printer that refused to cooperate.

More phone calls.

More waiting.

More driving.

At one point I found myself standing in a Walgreens parking lot wondering how an entire day could disappear while accomplishing absolutely nothing I had planned.

Yet somehow still accomplishing exactly what needed to be done.

By the time we finally got the medicine, my wife was less than thirty minutes from being home.

The entire day was gone.

The diagnosis also brought another reality.

Our family vacation this week is canceled.

At least the version we had planned.

No church.

Maybe no sports camp.

A close watch on the other kids.

And a lot of crossed fingers.

Strep is one of those things we do not play around with.

Sunday became recovery day.

We spent most of it getting David's room emptied and ready for paint and a new bed.

One more room.

One more step forward.

One more project inching toward completion.

Then my phone buzzed.

Grades.

There is one class this term that has been fighting me every step of the way.

Not the content.

The grading.

The last two assignments came back lower than I expected.

Lower than I wanted.

And for the first time in a long time, my grade in the class is a B.

I think the 4.0 might be dead.

That hurts.

More than I would like to admit.

I still haven't looked at the feedback.

That is a problem for later today.

For now, I have sick kids, room projects, work, streaming, and three books waiting for me to finish writing them.

Perspective has a funny way of finding you when life gets crowded enough.

This week is going to be busy.

Very busy.

I have spent a considerable amount of effort making the next three and a half days as productive as possible so I can take the following seven days completely off.

My boss is out today and tomorrow.

The first opportunity we'll have to connect is Thursday morning.

Just hours before I leave.

Ships passing in the night.

But this vacation is happening.

Even if it doesn't look like we originally planned.

Even if the kids are sick.

Even if life refuses to cooperate.

More importantly, I am finally planning to practice what I have been preaching.

I tell my staff all the time that this is when burnout starts creeping in.

Check on your people.

Take care of your people.

Disconnect when you can.

Recover when you can.

The work will still be there.

Now it is my turn.

Teams is coming off my phone.

The work laptop stays closed.

The email can wait.

The meetings can survive without me.

For seven days, the world will continue turning.

And that is exactly the point.

There comes a point where being responsible stops meaning doing more and starts meaning stepping away. The older I get, the more I realize that rest is not something that magically appears when life becomes convenient. Life never becomes convenient. There will always be one more meeting, one more project, one more problem waiting its turn. Sometimes the responsible thing is handling the crisis. Sometimes the responsible thing is closing the laptop, trusting the people around you, and going home. I am trying to learn the difference.

Much love. Stay safe. Wash your damn hands. I'll see you Wednesday.