I made a girl cry today

I made this girl cry today.  

She is my oldest daughter.  She called me 3 times from home when I was in a meeting in Walnut Creek (just outside San Francisco) and I didn't pick up.  I figured it was just home and I'd call back after the meeting.  When I called back, it wasn't just home, it was my daughter missing Daddy.  She said, "Daddy, I miss you.  When are you coming home."  I said, "I'll be home in a couple days, sweetheart.  I miss you too."  Does this sound familiar to any entrepreneurs out there?  

So, what did I do?  I asked her if she wanted me to send her a picture of me out of town via email that her Mommy could show her tomorrow.  I asked her to dream about me and I told her I'd dream about her.  The good news is she sounded pretty good after we talked.  But to think I have to email pictures and request dream time to be with my daughter is a little depressing.  I miss home.

It's times like these where I'm reminded of the story of the fisherman that would wake up late and start his fishing after everyone else had left early in the morning.  Then he'd go out to his usual spots and catch a small catch and get in early.  Than he'd sell just enough fish to get by for the day and give some of it away to the local kids that didn't have much.  One day he ran into a stranger in town that was looking to buy a fishing business.  The stranger told him he was looking for a small fishing company that he could grow.  If they partnered, he'd have to wake up earlier, get out before all the other fisherman to catch more fish than the others.  They'd take their proceeds and buy more fishing boats, and higher more fisherman, and grow to be a much larger company.  The fisherman asked why they would do all this.  The stranger said, so we could retire, sleep in, fish when we want to, share our catch with those that needed help, and live a nice easy life.  The fisherman replied, I already have that nice easy life.  

Sometimes, I just need to be reminded that the entrepreneurial pursuit needs to be balanced with living the easy life too.

I love you, Jossy.  Thanks for the reminder.