For most of my adult life, I've worked long hours and haven't had a tremendous amount of spare time. And when I do have extra "white space" in my life, I naturally gravitate toward my passions: music, reading, writing. But none of that stuff comes anywhere close to the satisfaction I get from being with my family.
It's true that throughout my life I've been a privileged man, and I'm grateful for it. Wonderful parents, brothers, friends, marriage, career (and a rockin' record collection to boot). The pinnacle of my good fortune, though, is surely the minute here or minute there spent giggling and frolicking with my kids. Like a good splashing around in the backyard pool on a sunny afternoon.
As my daughter put it, "This is the life, Daddy."