A Story With A Valuable Lesson.
David and Leo were best friends who worked for the same organization. David’s main focus was his family. More than anything, he wanted to be a good husband to his wife, a good father to his kids and a good son to his mother. He was a kind, humble person who valued the relationship he had with his family and he often created quality time with them.
On the other hand, Leo prioritized his job over his family. He spent less time with his family. He worked all the time, missed out on the kids growing up, vacations, holidays and family celebrations. He cared about his job so much and simply enjoyed spending time with his colleagues at work.
One day, David was driving Leo to work, and they began a conversation. David said.
“You know, your wife really wants me to talk to you”.
Leo asked
“About what?”.
David replied.
“She thinks you’re married to your job, not her. She explained to me how you’re so busy at work that you rarely ever spend time with the family. She told me your mother has been sick in the hospital and has been longing to see you, but you’ve been making excuses for not doing the right thing. She also said your kids would cry everyday because they want to play with their dad, but you have no time for them. Leo, don’t you think it’s important for you to create some time for your family?”.
Leo started giggling uncontrollably, then he said.
“I give them money for everything they need, right? Why won’t they just let me focus on my job? Well, it may seem surprising, but I consider my career as more important than my family…”.
Leo was still talking when suddenly the car brakes failed. The car became uncontrollable, slammed against a concrete wall, somersaulted and caught fire. It happened so fast. They both died on the spot.
One week later, Leo’s spirit decided to visit his family. He saw his mother, wife and kids all crying and grieving the loss of him. They were in so much pain and seemed like they would never be able to accept he was really gone. He became so emotional and soon disappeared.
Next, Leo decided to visit his place of work. However, he was surprised to find out he had already been replaced and no one really cared about his death. No one mourned him as everyone was busy with their normal duties as if nothing happened.
Leo was heartbroken. He wished he could turn back the hands of time and spend more time with his family, but it was all too late.
How often do we forsake our families because of work? Sometimes, we become too busy with our jobs that we rarely spend time with our loved ones. We forget that work is just a way to make money, but family is the place where we live and make a great life. We should remember that we will not work forever and when we retire, we will need our families. We should also remember that if something happens to our jobs, we will always have our families there to support us. When you die, there will still be a lot of work left, but when a family member dies, it’s over; there’s no replacement and nothing can substitute them. Don’t let your work seperate you from your family because they are the ones who will surround you on your deathbed, not your boss or co-workers.
Author: Chima Dickson
