I had a meeting with a client yesterday afternoon (I know, I know, but when you work for the Church, Sunday is a work day) and was gone for several hours. When I walked in the door, Isabella raced toward me on all fours and started babbling excitedly and at a million-miles-per-hour. She’d never done that before and it was quite funny. And touching too to see how much she missed me in that short time.
Being home nearly every day over the past year as I did freelance work and looked for a full-time job has been a blessing because of the time I’ve been able to spend with both Melanie and Isabella.
While I look forward to the security of a regular paycheck, the thought of leaving every morning and only being able to see Isabella a few hours each day tears me up inside. My fellow working Catholic dads tell me they often feel the same way. In a way I envy Melanie that she can be with Isabella all the time, but such is the vocation I have and the sacrifices fathers have to make.
I didn’t know you got a job.
I didn’t. Still freelance work.
Isabella sounds like a sweetie! Before long she will be saying “I missed you, Daddy”—and maybe calling you during the day. God bless you all, and have a blessed Easter!
I hear ya. With 6 there is no shortage of kisses leaving or coming home. and my 2 year old does have many words, but one is “vuv” for my car. “vuv, me” means he wants to go for a ride with me.
Not sure why it is a big deal, but as a dad, I love it.
I think that one of the differences between the way (conservative) Protestants and Catholics look at the world is that, while fundamentalists might declare the practice of mothers leaving the home to work as the beginning of the downfall of civilization, Catholics at some level know intuitively that it was even longer ago, when men’s labor became so separated from their homes, that our civilization started down this road. Not that there is much most of us can do about it now.
I’ve said to Melanie several times that I would love to become some type of farmer raising hydroponic tomatoes year round or growing wine or something.
Of course, the modern equivalent of the small farmer/businessman is the telecommuting worker, which I did for so many years before I was married. That could be a way of reversing the trend for some types of workers.